US20080051635A1 - Capsule-type medical apparatus and drug delivery system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A capsule-type medical apparatus holds a drug such that a drug release such as dissolution can be realized under the same condition as in a case where the drug is delivered to an interior of a living body by itself, and realizes confirmation on whether the drug delivered to the interior of the living body is actually released to a site in the living body or not. The capsule-type medical apparatus includes a capsule-like casing which is formed in a suitable size for insertion into the living body, a net-like drug holding unit which houses a drug in a releasable manner with respect to a site in the living body, and an imaging unit which captures an image covering the drug held in the drug holding unit and a surrounding area of the drug. The imaging unit4 captures an image as drug-source information indicating a release condition of the drug with respect to the site in the living body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention relates to a capsule-type medical apparatus which is inserted into an interior of a living body to deliver a drug to a site in the living body, and to a drug delivery system including the same.
• 2. Description of the Related Art
• Conventionally, some medical treatments are performed by inserting an endoscope into an interior of a living body of, for example, a patient, and by delivering a drug to a site in the living body with the use of the inserted endoscope. The drug is inserted into or injected into an internal duct (e.g. channel) of the endoscope penetrating through the interior of the living body, and delivered to a site (e.g., internal organ such as stomach or duodenum) in the living body through the internal duct of the endoscope (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-297289).
• In the field of endoscope, a drug delivery system is proposed in recent years for delivering a drug to an interior of a living body with the use of a capsule-type medical apparatus formed in a suitable size for insertion into the living body. The capsule-type medical apparatus for such a drug delivery system, which stores a drug inside a compartment having a plurality of holes, is swallowed by a living body from the mouth, and moves through the digestive tract of the living body while delivering the drug to a desirable site (see description of United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0137468). The drug delivered to the interior of the living body dissolves in a body fluid to be released to the site in the living body. Such a capsule-type medical apparatus can alleviate pains of the living body at a time of drug delivery, and realizes drug delivery to a deep portion in the living body (e.g., the small intestine), to which it is difficult to deliver a drug using such an elongated endoscope as mentioned above.
• In an application of the drug delivery system using the capsule-type medical apparatus for delivering a drug to an interior of the living body, a drug to be delivered inside the living body is tested outside the living body in advance for its solubility. Based on a result of the test, an inference is made on whether the drug dissolves at a site in the living body or not (in other words, whether the drug is released to the site in the living body or not). With respect to the drug delivery system as described above, it is desirable that a check can be done on whether the drug delivered to the interior of the living body by the capsule-type medical apparatus is actually released to the site in the living body, rather than relying on a mere inference.
• Further, in research and development of a drug which selectively dissolves at a predetermined site in the living body, it is similarly desirable to provide means for checking whether the drug delivered to the interior of the living body actually dissolves at a target site in the living body or not.
• Still further, in the capsule-type medical apparatus described in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0137468, the drug is made to contact with a body fluid through holes of the compartment housing the drug. Therefore, a contact condition of the drug and the body fluid is different from a case where the drug is delivered to the interior of the living body by itself. Hence, the state change (e.g., dissolution) of the drug in the compartment is different from the state change of the drug delivered to the interior of the living body by itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• An object of the present invention is at least to solve the problems as described above.
• A capsule-type medical apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention has a capsule-like casing that can be inserted into an interior of a living body and delivers a drug to a site in the living body, and the capsule-type medical apparatus includes a holding unit that holds the drug in such a manner that the drug can be brought into contact with a tissue in the living body, and a detecting unit that detects change in the drug in the living body.
• A drug delivery system according to another aspect of the present invention includes a capsule-type medical apparatus that is inserted into an interior of a living body, holds and releases a drug to a site in the living body, and detects drug-source information indicating at least a release condition of the drug at the site in the living body, and a display unit that displays the drug-source information detected by the capsule-type medical apparatus.
• The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first embodiment inserted into an interior of a living body;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first embodiment;
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of one example of a folded state of a connecting member;
• FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first modification of the first embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body;
• FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first modification of the first embodiment;
• FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second modification of the first embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body;
• FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second modification of the first embodiment;
• FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third modification of the first embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body;
• FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third modification of the first embodiment;
• FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 20 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body;
• FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second embodiment;
• FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of an example of a disassembled state of a capsule-like casing;
• FIG. 26 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body;
• FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 30 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fourth embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body;
• FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 34 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fifth embodiment collecting a body fluid inside the living body;
• FIG. 37 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 38 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 39 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the sixth embodiment collecting the body fluid at one site in the living body plural times;
• FIG. 41 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 42 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 43 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 44 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the seventh embodiment collecting the body fluid at each site in the living body;
• FIG. 45 is a schematic diagram of an example of a capsule-type medical apparatus in which a capsule-like casing and a drug can be detachably connected with each other via a connecting member; and
• FIG. 46 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connected state of a drug having a hole and a drug holding unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Exemplary embodiments of a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the same according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments.
First Embodiment
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first embodiment. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, a capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment includes acasing2 that is formed in a capsule-like shape, adrug holding unit3 that holds a drug D1 to be delivered to an interior of a living body, animaging unit4 that captures images of the drug D1 held by thedrug holding unit3, and plural illuminatingunits5athat illuminate a field of view A of theimaging unit4. Further, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 includes animage processing circuit6 that generates image signals including images captured by theimaging unit4, aradio communication unit7 and anantenna8 that serve for radio communication of the images captured by theimaging unit4, acontrol unit9 that controls driving of each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1, and apower supply unit10 that supplies driving power to each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1.
• Thecasing2 is a capsule-like casing which is formed in a suitable size for the insertion into the living body. Specifically, thecasing2 includes a casingmain body2awhich is formed in a capsule-like shape, and anoptical dome2bwhich is attached to a front end of the casingmain body2a. The casingmain body2ais a cylindrical casing whose front end side is open and whose back end side is closed in a dome-like shape. The casingmain body2ahouses each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 inside. Theoptical dome2bis a substantially transparent dome-like member having a high optical transparency. Theoptical dome2bis attached to the front end of the casingmain body2aand thereby closes the open end of the casingmain body2a. A living body, such as a patient, can easily swallow thecasing2 formed from the casingmain body2aand theoptical dome2bfrom the mouth, and thecasing2 can easily move inside the digestive tract of the living body following the peristaltic movements, for example.
• Thedrug holding unit3 serves as a holding unit that holds the drug D1 in a releasable manner with respect to a site inside the living body. Specifically, thedrug holding unit3 is a net-like member having plural meshes, for example, and is attached to thecasing2 so as to enclose the drug D1 and to cover theoptical dome2b. Thedrug holding unit3 is formed in a form of a bag or a basket having meshes and is attached to thecasing2 so as to close the open end thereof. Thedrug holding unit3 holds the drug D1 at a position within the field of view A of theimaging unit4 without blocking the contact between the drug D1 and the body fluid inside the living body, and transmits reflected light from the site in the living body around the drug D1 through the plural meshes to theimaging unit4. The drug D1 held in such a manner dissolves in the body fluid flowing into thedrug holding unit3 through the plural meshes in the living body. Thus, the drug D1 dissolving in the body fluid in the living body produces a drug solution. The drug solution is released to the site in the living body through the plural meshes of thedrug holding unit3. Thus, the drug D1 held by thedrug holding unit3 is released to the site in the living body. The drug D1 is a solid drug such as a tablet and is soluble in the body fluid in the living body.
• Theimaging unit4 serves as an imaging unit that captures images covering the drug D1 which decreases as being released to the site in the living body as the drug solution. Specifically, theimaging unit4 includes a solid-state image sensor such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and an optical system which focuses a subject image on a light-receiving surface of the solid-state image sensor. Theimaging unit4 has the field of view A which covers a region surrounded by the drug holding unit3 (i.e., a position of the drug D1 held in the drug holding unit3). Theimaging unit4 captures an image of a subject within the field of view A through theoptical dome2bevery time a predetermined time elapses, for example. Theimaging unit4 sequentially captures an image covering the drug D1 which is released to the site in the living body and decreases while held by thedrug holding unit3, and the site in the living body around the drug D1 and visible through the plural meshes of the drug holding unit3 (i.e., the site in the living body to which the drug D1 is released). Theimaging unit4 receives reflected light from the drug D1 and reflected light coming from outside thedrug holding unit3 passing through the meshes towards theimaging unit4 within the field of view A (i.e., reflected light from a surrounding area of the drug D1).
• An image captured by theimaging unit4 shows a release condition of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the living body and decreases, and the site in the living body where the drug D1 is released. Therefore, a doctor or a nurse, for example, can determine whether the drug D1 is actually released to the site in the living body or not and distinguish the site (e.g., internal organ such as stomach, duodenum, small intestine, and large intestine) where the drug D1 is released in the living body by visually confirming the image. Theimaging unit4 captures an image covering the drug D1 and the site around the drug D1 in the living body as drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D1 to the site in the living body and the site in the living body where the drug D1 is released. In other words, theimaging unit4 detects the drug-source information by capturing the image covering the drug D1 and the site around the drug D1 in the living body.
• An illuminating-unit group5 includes plural illuminatingunits5afor illuminating the field of view A of theimaging unit4. The illuminatingunit5aincludes, for example, a light-emitting element such as a light-emitting diode (LED), and emits illumination light to illuminate the field of view A through theoptical dome2b. Specifically, each illuminatingunit5ailluminates the drug D1 and the site around the drug D1 in the living body present within the field of view A.
• Theimage processing circuit6 generates image signals including the images captured by theimaging unit4. Specifically, theimage processing circuit6 receives image data as an input from theimaging unit4, performs predetermined image processing and the like on the received image data, and generates image signals including the image captured by theimaging unit4 and various image parameters such as white balance. Theimage processing circuit6 transmits the generated image signals to theradio communication unit7.
• Theradio communication unit7 and theantenna8 serve as a radio transmitting unit that radio transmits the image captured by theimaging unit4 to the outside as the drug-source information. Specifically, theradio communication unit7 performs predetermined modulation processing and the like on the image signals supplied from theimage processing circuit6, so as to generate radio signals including the image signals. Theradio communication unit7 outputs the generated radio signals to theantenna8. Theantenna8 is, for example, a loop antenna or a coil antenna, and transmits the radio signals supplied from theradio communication unit7 to the outside. Thus, theradio communication unit7 and theantenna8 radio transmit the image captured by theimaging unit4 to the outside.
• Thecontrol unit9 serves to control each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1. Specifically, thecontrol unit9 controls driving of each of theimaging unit4, the illuminating-unit group5, theimage processing circuit6, and theradio communication unit7, and also controls input/output of various signals among respective components. For example, thecontrol unit9 controls theimaging unit4 and the illuminating-unit group5 so that timing of light emission by the plural illuminatingunits5aand timing of image capture by theimaging unit4 are synchronized. Further, thecontrol unit9 stores various image parameters (such as white balance) related to the images captured by theimaging unit4.
• Thepower supply unit10 supplies driving power to theimaging unit4, the illuminating-unit group5, theimage processing circuit6, theradio communication unit7, and thecontrol unit9. Further, thepower supply unit10 has a reed switch for performing an ON/OFF switching operation according to a magnetic force applied from outside, for example. Thepower supply unit10 switches from an operation to start driving-power supply to an operation to stop driving-power supply and vice versa for each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the ON/OFF switching operation of the reed switch.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 3, the drug delivery system according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 which is inserted into an interior of a livingbody100 together with the drug D1, a receivingapparatus11 which receives the drug-source information radio transmitted by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 in the livingbody100, and aworkstation13 which displays the drug-source information received by the receivingapparatus11.
• The receivingapparatus11 serves to receive the drug-source information radio transmitted by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 inserted into the interior of the livingbody100. Specifically, the receivingapparatus11 is connected to plural receivingantennas12ato12ddistributively arranged on a body surface of the livingbody100, for example, and carried by the livingbody100. The receivingapparatus11 sequentially receives the radio signals transmitted from the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 in the livingbody100 via any one of theplural receiving antennas12ato12d, and sequentially acquires the drug-source information (i.e., images covering the drug D1 and the site around the drug D1 in the living body) based on the received radio signals.
• The receivingantennas12ato12dare, for example, loop antennas. The receivingantennas12ato12dsequentially receive the radio signals transmitted from the capsule-typemedical apparatus1, and sequentially transmit the received radio signals to the receivingapparatus11. The receivingantennas12ato12dare distributively arranged at predetermined positions on the body surface of the livingbody100, e.g., at positions corresponding to a passage of the capsule-type medical apparatus1 (i.e., digestive tract) within the livingbody100 as shown inFIG. 3. As far as one or more receiving antennas are arranged for each living body, the number of receiving antennas is not limited to four.
• Theworkstation13 serves to confirm whether the drug D1 inserted into the interior of the livingbody100 together with the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 is actually released to a desirable site in the living body100 (i.e., target site of the release of the drug D1) or not. Specifically, theworkstation13 is communicatively connected to the receivingapparatus11 via acable15, for example, sequentially takes in the drug-source information received by the receivingapparatus11, and sequentially displays the obtained drug-source information, i.e., the images covering the drug D1 and the site around the drug D1 in the living body on adisplay unit14. Theworkstation13 displays the images (drug-source information) captured by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 in the livingbody100 on thedisplay unit14 in real time.
• The doctor or the nurse, for example, can confirm in real time the release condition of the drug D1 at the site within the living body100 (in other words, a decreased state of the drug D1 which is actually released to the site within the livingbody100 and decreases) and the site (e.g., stomach, duodenum, small intestine, or large intestine) within the livingbody100 to which the drug D1 is released by visually confirming a series of images sequentially displayed on thedisplay unit14 as the drug-source information. As a result, the doctor or the nurse can confirm in real time whether the drug D1 which is inserted into the interior of the livingbody100 together with the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 is actually released to a desirable site within the livingbody100 or not.
• Theworkstation13 may be connected to the receivingapparatus11 via thecable15 only when the images captured by the capsule-type medical apparatus1 (i.e., drug-source information) are displayed on thedisplay unit14 in real time, and thecable15 may be disconnected from theworkstation13 at other times. Thus, the livingbody100 can freely move except when the drug-source information is displayed on thedisplay unit14 in real time. Alternatively, theworkstation13 may be communicatively connected to the receivingapparatus11 via wireless LAN, for example. In this case, a wireless LAN communication unit, such as a wireless LAN card, may be provided in each of the receivingapparatus11 and theworkstation13.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 inserted into the interior of the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body.FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment. The operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 will be described below with reference toFIGS. 4 and 5.
• The capsule-typemedical apparatus1 in which thedrug holding unit3 holds the drug D1 is swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth, for example, and thereby inserted into the interior of the livingbody100 together with the drug D1. Thereafter, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 moves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following peristaltic movements and the like while sequentially captures images as drug-source information at predetermined intervals. The images as the drug-source information are sequentially radio transmitted to the receivingapparatus11 outside.
• Specifically, as shown inFIG. 4, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 inserted into the interior of the livingbody100 produces the drug solution D2 by bringing the drug D1 held in thedrug holding unit3 into contact with the body fluid of the livingbody100 flowing into thedrug holding unit3 through meshes of thedrug holding unit3. The drug D1 in thedrug holding unit3 gradually dissolves in the body fluid and is gradually consumed for the production of the drug solution D2. The drug solution D2 is released to the site in the livingbody100 through the meshes of thedrug holding unit3. Thus, the drug D1 in thedrug holding unit3 is gradually decreased while being released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2.
• Theimaging unit4 always covers the drug D1 held in thedrug holding unit3 and the surrounding area of the drug D1 which is visible through the drug holding unit3 (i.e., the site where the drug D1 is released in the living body100) within the field of view A. Therefore, theimaging unit4 can capture the image covering the drug D1 and the surrounding area of the drug D1. The images captured by theimaging unit4 show, as shown inFIG. 5 for example, the drug D1 which gradually decreases as being released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2, and the surrounding area of the drug D1 visible through thedrug holding unit3. In other words, theimaging unit4 captures an image as the drug-source information which indicates the release condition of the drug D1 to the site in the livingbody100 and the site where the drug D1 is released in the livingbody100.
• During a period after the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 is inserted into the interior of the livingbody100 until being naturally excreted from the livingbody100, theimaging unit4 sequentially captures the images as described above as the drug-source information every time a predetermined time elapses. A series of images captured as the drug-source information by theimaging unit4 are sequentially radio transmitted via theantenna8 by theradio communication unit7. The series of images as the drug-source information radio transmitted from the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 are sequentially received by the receivingapparatus11 as described above, and at the same time, sequentially taken into theworkstation13 via thecable15, for example. Thereafter, the series of images as the drug-source information are displayed on thedisplay unit14 of theworkstation13 in real time.
• The series of images as the drug-source information displayed on thedisplay unit14 in real time indicate the drug D1 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 and decreased and the site within the livingbody100 around the drug D1 as shown inFIG. 5. Therefore, the doctor or the nurse can confirm the decreased state of the drug D1 released to the site in the livingbody100 and the site in the livingbody100 to which the drug D1 is actually released (e.g., stomach, duodenum, small intestine, and large intestine) in real time by visually confirming the series of images as the drug-source information. As a result, the doctor or the nurse can confirm the release condition of the drug D1 to the site in the livingbody100 in real time and check in real time whether the drug D1 is actually released to a desirable site (i.e., site such as an affected site as a target of release of the drug D1) within the livingbody100 even while the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 is in the livingbody100.
• As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured to hold the drug in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body, to capture images covering the drug which decreases as being released to the site in the living body and a surrounding area of the drug (i.e., a site within the living body where the drug is released), and to radio transmit the image covering the drug and its surrounding area to the receiving apparatus outside the living body. Further, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured to sequentially display the images received by the receiving apparatus on the display unit. Therefore, even while the drug is within the living body, it is possible to confirm the release condition of the drug with respect to the interior of the living body and the surrounding area of the drug in real time through the visual confirmation of the images displayed on the display unit. As a result, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus which realize real-time confirmation of the actual release of the drug with respect to the site in the living body and real-time confirmation of the site within the living body to which the drug is actually released.
• A net-like drug holding unit (e.g., the drug holding unit3) holding the drug in a releasable manner with respect to the site within the living body may be formed with a body-fluid-soluble material such as gelatin. When the drug holding unit is formed from a body-fluid-soluble material, the drug holding unit itself can dissolve in the living body after the release (dissolution) of the drug to the site within the living body. As a result, the capsule-type medical apparatus inside the living body can easily move through the site within the living body after releasing the drug.
• Further, the net-like drug holding unit may be coated with a water-soluble material such as sugar. Then, the insertion of the capsule-type medical apparatus having the net-like drug holding unit into the living body can be further facilitated, whereby the pains of the living body can be alleviated.
First Modification of First Embodiment
• A first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the drug D1 is held inside thedrug holding unit3 formed in a bag or basket shape having meshes. In the first modification of the first embodiment, the drug D1 is held by a drug case housing the drug D1 and a capsule-like casing2 connected with each other.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 6, a capsule-type medical apparatus la according to the first modification of the first embodiment has adrug holding unit16 in place of thedrug holding unit3 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus of the first modification is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• Thedrug holding unit16 serves as a holding unit that holds the drug D1 to be delivered to the interior of the living body in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body. Specifically, thedrug holding unit16 includes adrug case16awhich houses the drug D1 in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body and a connectingmember16bwhich connects thecasing2 and thedrug case16a.
• Thedrug case16ahouses (holds) the drug D1 in an exposed state with respect to the site within the living body. In other words, thedrug case16aholds the drug D1 without blocking the contact between the drug D1 and the body fluid in the living body. The drug D1 held in thedrug case16adissolves in the body fluid in the living body and gradually released to the site in the living body as the drug solution D2 while the amount thereof decreases.
• The connectingmember16bis formed of shape memory alloy which has a predetermined shape memory characteristic and a predetermined electric resistance value. The connectingmember16bhas one end connected to thecasing2 and another end connected to thedrug case16a. In other words, the connectingmember16bconnects thedrug case16ahousing the drug D1 and thecasing2. Thus, the connectingmember16bconnects the drug D1 and thecasing2 via thedrug case16a. Further, the connectingmember16bcan be deformed while maintaining the connected state of thedrug case16aand thecasing2. Specifically, the connectingmember16bcan be bent or twisted while maintaining the connected state. The connectingmember16bcan be folded while maintaining the connected state as shown inFIG. 7, for example. Thus, thecasing2 and thedrug case16acan be brought into contact at close proximity, and the space occupied by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1aholding the drug D1 can be made as small as possible.
• Further, the connectingmember16bcan be transformed into a linear shape (i.e., previously memorized shape) under a predetermined temperature condition so as to arrange the drug D1 at a position within the field of view A of theimaging unit4. Specifically, the connectingmember16btakes an optional shape (e.g., folded state shown inFIG. 7) under the temperature condition of the temperature equal to that within the living body, for example. On the other hand, with the application of high-frequency magnetic field, inductive current is generated in the connectingmember16b. When the connectingmember16bgenerates heat over a predetermined temperature (i.e., temperature sufficiently higher than the temperature within the living body) due to such inductive current, the connectingmember16bchanges to a linear shape and serves to arrange thedrug case16aat a predetermined position within the field of view A. The connectingmember16barranges thedrug case16aat a predetermined position within the field of view A so as to provide an appropriate distance between the drug D1 and theimaging unit4 for the imaging of the drug D1 by theimaging unit4. Thus, the connectingmember16barranges the drug D1 at a position suitable for the imaging within the field of view A by theimaging unit4 under the predetermined temperature condition. Theimaging unit4 captures an image (i.e., image as the drug-source information) covering the drug D1 arranged at an appropriate position within the field of view A according to the function of the connectingmember16band the site around the drug D1 in the living body.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus la according to the first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of the drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus la according to the first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 8, the drug delivery system according to the first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention includes the capsule-typemedical apparatus1ain place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 of the drug delivery system according to the first embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system of the first modification is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the first modification of the first embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1aholding the drug D1 is swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth in a folded state as shown inFIG. 7, for example, and inserted into the livingbody100 together with the drug D1. Thereafter, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1amoves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements while sequentially capturing images as the drug-source information at predetermined intervals. The images as the drug-source information are sequentially radio transmitted to the receivingapparatus11 outside.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1ain the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1aaccording to the first modification of the first embodiment inserted into the living body.FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1aaccording to the first modification of the first embodiment.
• As shown inFIG. 9, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1ain the livingbody100 receives an application of high-frequency magnetic field from outside the livingbody100 on reaching a desirable site (site as a release target of the drug D1) within the livingbody100. Due to the high-frequency magnetic field, the drug D1 is arranged at a suitable position for the imaging within the field of view A of theimaging unit4. The connectingmember16bgenerates heat over a predetermined temperature due to the high-frequency magnetic field and is deformed into a linear shape so as to arrange thedrug case16aat a predetermined position within the field of view A thereby providing a suitable distance between the drug D1 and theimaging unit4 for the imaging of the drug D1 by theimaging unit4.
• The drug D1 arranged at a suitable position for the imaging within the field of view A gradually dissolves in the body fluid in the livingbody100, and is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2, and gradually decreases. Theimaging unit4 sequentially captures images covering the drug D1 gradually decreasing and the site around the drug D1 in the living body (image as the drug-source information) at predetermined intervals.
• The image captured by theimaging unit4 shows the drug D1 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2 and gradually decreases, and the site in the livingbody100 visible around thedrug holding unit16 holding the drug D1 (i.e., a surrounding area of the drug D1). In other words, theimaging unit4 captures the image as the drug-source information which indicates the release condition of the drug D1 with respect to the site in the livingbody100 and the site in the livingbody100 to which the drug D1 is released.
• A series of images captured by theimaging unit4 as the drug-source information are sequentially radio transmitted through theantenna8 by theradio communication unit7 similarly to the first embodiment, taken into theworkstation13 via the receivingapparatus11 and the like, and displayed in real time on thedisplay unit14 of theworkstation13.
• The series of images as the drug-source information displayed in real time on thedisplay unit14 show the drug D1 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 and decreases and the site in the livingbody100 around the drug D1 as shown inFIG. 10, for example. Therefore, the doctor or the nurse can confirm the release condition of the drug D1 with respect to the site in the livingbody100 in real time, and also confirm in real time whether the drug D1 is actually released to a desirable site (i.e., a site such as an affected site as the release target of the drug D1) in the livingbody100 by visually confirming the series of image as the drug-source information, similarly to the first embodiment.
• As described above, in the first modification of the first embodiment, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so that the drug case holding the drug in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body and the capsule-like casing are connected with each other by the connecting member of shape memory alloy, the connecting member is deformed into a linear shape (i.e., a previously memorized shape) at a desirable site in the living body so as to arrange the drug at a position suitable for the imaging within the field of view of the imaging unit, an image covering the drug released to the site in the living body and decreases and the site around the drug is captured, and the image covering the drug and the surrounding area is radio transmitted to the receiving apparatus outside the living body. Similarly to the first embodiment, the images received by the receiving apparatus are sequentially displayed on the display unit. Therefore, in addition to the advantages and effects of the first embodiment, the first modification has an advantage that the image covering the drug released to the site in the living body and decreases and the surrounding area can be capture clearly. As a result, while the advantages and the effects of the first embodiment are similarly obtained, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus which realize easy confirmation of the release condition of the drug with respect to the site in the living body.
• Further, since the connecting member can be deformed into a desirable shape while the connected state between the drug case and the capsule-like casing is maintained, the drug case and the capsule-like casing can be brought into close proximity with each other. As a result, a space occupied by the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the first modification of the first embodiment can be made as small as possible, whereby the easy insertion of the capsule-type medical apparatus into the living body can be realized.
Second Modification of First Embodiment
• A second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first modification of the first embodiment, the drug D1 is held by thedrug case16ahousing the drug D1 and the capsule-like casing2 connected with each other via the connectingmember16b. In the second modification of the first embodiment, the drug D1 is connected to the capsule-like casing2 via a thread-like member, whereby the drug D1 is held.
• FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 11, a capsule-typemedical apparatus1baccording to the second modification of the first embodiment includes a thread-likedrug holding unit17 in place of thedrug holding unit16 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1aaccording to the first modification of the first embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second modification is the same as that of the first modification of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• Thedrug holding unit17 serves as a holding unit that holds the drug D1 in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body, and also serves as a connecting unit that connects the drug D1 and the capsule-like casing2. Specifically, thedrug holding unit17 is realized with a thread-like member whose one end is connected to thecasing2, and another end is connected to the drug D1. Thedrug holding unit17 holds the drug D1 without blocking the contact between the drug D1 and the body fluid in the living body. Thedrug holding unit17 brings the drug D1 into contact with the body fluid in the living body substantially similarly to the case where the drug D1 is delivered to the interior of the living body by itself. Further, thedrug holding unit17 freely deforms while maintaining the connected state of the drug D1 and thecasing2. Therefore, thedrug holding unit17 can hold the drug D1 while making a space occupied by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1bas small as possible. As a result, the pains of the living body at the time of insertion of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1binto the living body together with the drug D1 can be alleviated.
• The drug D1 held by thedrug holding unit17 is arranged at a position within the field of view A of theimaging unit4 by thedrug holding unit17 when delivered inside the digestive tract of the living body. Here, it is desirable that the capsule-typemedical apparatus1bholding the drug D1 be inserted into the interior of the living body with thecasing2 arranged at an advance direction (in other words, so that the drug D1 comes after the casing2). Then, thedrug holding unit17 can arrange the subsequent drug D1 at a suitable position for the imaging in the field of view A. Further, the drug D1 held by thedrug holding unit17 is brought into contact with the body fluid in the living body substantially similarly to the case where the drug D1 is delivered to the interior of the living body by itself within the field of view A of theimaging unit4. The drug D1 dissolves in the body fluid and is gradually released to the site in the living body as the drug solution D2 and decreases.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus1baccording to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus1baccording to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 12, the drug delivery system according to the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention includes the capsule-typemedical apparatus1bin place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1aof the drug delivery system according to the first modification of the first embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system according to the second modification is the same as that of the first modification of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the second modification of the first embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1bis swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth together with the drug D1 held by the thread-likedrug holding unit17, and inserted into the interior of the livingbody100. Thereafter, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1bmoves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements and the like, while sequentially capturing images as the drug-source information at predetermined intervals. The images as the drug-source information are sequentially radio transmitted to the receivingapparatus11 outside.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1binserted into the interior of the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1baccording to the second modification of the first embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body.FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1baccording to the second modification of the first embodiment.
• As shown inFIG. 13, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1binserted into the interior of the livingbody100 arranges the drug D1 at a position (e.g., a position away from theimaging unit4 by a distance suitable for the imaging) within the field of view A of theimaging unit4 according to the function of thedrug holding unit17. The drug D1 arranged at a position within the field of view A is brought into contact with the body fluid in the livingbody100 in a substantially similar condition to that when swallowed by the livingbody100 by itself, and gradually dissolves into the body fluid. Thus, the drug D1 is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2 and gradually decreases. Theimaging unit4 sequentially captures images covering the drug D1 gradually decreasing and the site in the living body around the drug D1 (i.e., the image as the drug-source information) at predetermined intervals.
• The image captured by theimaging unit4 shows the drug D1 (i.e., drug D1 held in the drug holding unit17) released to the site within the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2 and gradually decreasing, and the site around the drug D1 (i.e., site in the livingbody100 to which the drug D1 is released). In other words, theimaging unit4 captures the image as the drug-source information which indicates the release condition of the drug D1 with respect to the site in the livingbody100 and the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is released.
• The series of images as the drug-source information captured by theimaging unit4 are sequentially radio transmitted through theantenna8 by theradio communication unit7, sequentially taken into theworkstation13 via the receivingapparatus11 and the like, and displayed on thedisplay unit14 of theworkstation13 in real time similarly to the first modification of the first embodiment.
• The series of images as the drug-source information displayed on thedisplay unit14 in real time show, as shown inFIG. 14, the drug D1 released to the site in the livingbody100 and decreases and the site around the drug D1 in the livingbody100. Therefore, the doctor or the nurse can confirm in real time the release condition of the drug D1 with respect to the site in the livingbody100 and at the same time confirm in real time whether the drug D1 is actually released to a desirable site (i.e., site such as an affected site as a release target of the drug D1) in the livingbody100 by visually confirming the series of images as the drug-source information similarly to the first modification of the first embodiment.
• As described above, in the second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so that the capsule-like casing and the drug are connected by the thread-like connecting member, the image covering the drug connected (held) by the connecting member and the surrounding area of the drug within the field of view is captured, and the image covering the drug which is released to the site in the living body and decreases and the surrounding area is radio transmitted to the receiving apparatus outside the living body. Further, similarly to the first modification of the first embodiment, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so that the images received by the receiving apparatus are sequentially displayed on the display unit. Hence, in addition to the advantages and effects of the first modification of the first embodiment, the second modification has an advantage that the drug can be brought into contact with the body fluid in the living body in a substantially similar condition with that of the drug delivered to the interior of the living body by itself. As a result, it is possible to provide the capsule-type medical apparatus and the drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus which have the advantages and effects of the first modification of the first embodiment, and allow for the confirmation of the release condition (i.e., a state of dissolution of the drug in the body fluid) of the drug released to the site in the living body in a similar state as that of the drug delivered to the interior of the living body by itself.
• Further, since the connecting member can be deformed into a desirable shape while maintaining the connected state of the drug and the capsule-like casing, the pains of the living body at the time of insertion of the capsule-type medical apparatus and the drug into the living body can be alleviated.
Third Modification of First Embodiment
• A third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the drug D1 is held in thedrug holding unit3 which is formed like a bag or basket having meshes. In the third modification of the first embodiment, the drug D1 is held in a state sandwiched between plural transparent plates.
• FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of one exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 15, a capsule-typemedical apparatus1caccording to the third modification of the first embodiment has adrug holding unit18 in place of thedrug holding unit3 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment described above. In other respects, the configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third modification is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• Thedrug holding unit18 serves as a holding unit which holds the drug D1 to be delivered to the interior of the living body in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body. Specifically, thedrug holding unit18 has two holdingplates18aand18bthat sandwich the drug D1 in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body, aspring18cthat generates pressing force of the holdingplates18aand18bwith respect to the drug D1, and a connectingmember18dthat connects the holdingplate18aand thecasing2.
• The holdingplates18aand18bformed of a transparent member with high optical transparency sandwich the drug D1 between opposing surfaces thereof to press and hold the drug D1. The holdingplates18aand18bare in surface contact with the drug D1, and hold the drug D1 without blocking the contact between an outer circumferential portion of the drug D1 and the body fluid in the living body. The drug D1 held by holdingplates18aand18bas described above contacts with the body fluid in the living body and gradually dissolves in the body fluid from the outer circumferential portion toward a central portion.
• Further, being transparent members as mentioned above, the holdingplates18aand18bhold the drug D1 at a position within the field of view A without blocking the field of view A of theimaging unit4. Here, theimaging unit4 captures an image covering the drug D1 and the site in the living body around the drug D1 visible through the holdingplates18aand18b.
• The pressing force of the holdingplates18aand18bwith respect to the drug D1 is generated by thespring18c. Thespring18chas one end connected to the holdingplate18aand another end connected to the holdingplate18b. Thespring18cconnects the holdingplates18aand18b, and generates the pressing force applied to the drug D1 sandwiched between the holdingplates18aand18b. Thespring18cserves to apply the elastic force (pressing force) in such a direction that the holdingplate18bis brought closer to the holdingplate18awhich is arranged at the side of thecasing2, for example.
• The connectingmember18dconnects thecasing2 with one of the holdingplates18aand18b(e.g., the holdingplate18aarranged at the side of the casing2) that hold the drug D1. The connectingmember18dsupports the holdingplates18aand18bin such a manner that the drug D1 is arranged at a predetermined position within the field of view A of theimaging unit4.
• Thedrug holding unit18 configured as described above holds the drug D1 in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body and arranges the drug D1 at a substantially fixed position (e.g., suitable position for the imaging of the drug D1 by the imaging unit4) within the field of view A without blocking the field of view A of theimaging unit4. The drug D1 held by thedrug holding unit18 gradually dissolves in the body fluid in the living body from the outer circumferential portion toward the central portion, and is gradually released to the site in the living body as the drug solution D2 and decreases. Theimaging unit4 captures an image (i.e., the image as the drug-source information) covering the drug D1 and the site around the drug D1 in the living body visible through the holdingplates18aand18bof thedrug holding unit18.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus1caccording to the third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of the drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus1caccording to the third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 16, the drug delivery system according to the third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention has the capsule-typemedical apparatus1cin place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 of the drug delivery system according to the first embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system according to the third modification is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the third modification of the first embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1cis swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth while the drug D1 is sandwiched between the holdingplates18aand18b, and thus inserted into the interior of the livingbody100 together with the drug D1. Thereafter, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1cmoves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements and the like, while sequentially capturing images as the drug-source information at predetermined intervals. The images as the drug-source information are sequentially radio transmitted to the receivingapparatus11 outside.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1cinserted into the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1caccording to the third modification of the first embodiment inserted into the interior of the living body.FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-typemedical apparatus1caccording to the third modification of the first embodiment.
• As shown inFIG. 17, the capsule-typemedical apparatus1cinserted into the livingbody100 holds the drug D1 at a fixed position (e.g., suitable position for the imaging) within the field of view A of theimaging unit4 by thedrug holding unit18, and makes the body fluid in the livingbody100 contact with the outer circumferential portion of the drug D1. The drug D1 thus held gradually dissolves into the body fluid in the livingbody100 from the outer circumferential portion toward the central portion, and at the same time is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2 and gradually decreases. Thedrug holding unit18 keeps holding the drug D1 which gradually decreases from the outer circumferential portion towards the central portion at the fixed position within the field of view A. Theimaging unit4 sequentially captures the image (i.e., the image as the drug-source information) covering the drug D1 gradually decreasing from the outer circumferential portion and the site around the drug D1 in the living body through the holdingplates18aand18bof thedrug holding unit18 at predetermined intervals.
• The images captured by theimaging unit4 show, as shown inFIG. 18, the drug D1 which gradually decreases from the outer circumferential portion in a state held at substantially the fixed position within the field of view A and the surrounding area of the drug D1 (i.e., site where the drug D1 is released in the living body100). In other words, theimaging unit4 captures images as the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D1 with respect to the site in the livingbody100 and the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is released.
• A series of images captured by theimaging unit4 as the drug-source information are sequentially radio transmitted via theantenna8 by theradio communication unit7, sequentially taken into theworkstation13 via the receivingapparatus11 and the like, and displayed in real time on thedisplay unit14 of theworkstation11, similarly to the first embodiment.
• The series of images as the drug-source information displayed in real time on thedisplay unit14 indicate the drug D1 released to the site in the livingbody100 and decreases and the site in the livingbody100 around the drug D1 as shown inFIG. 18, for example. Therefore, the doctor or the nurse can confirm in real time the release condition of the drug D1 with respect to the site in the livingbody100, and at the same time, can confirm in real time whether the drug D1 is actually released to a desirable site (i.e., site such as an affected site as a release target of the drug D1) in the livingbody100 by visually confirming the series of images as the drug-source information, similarly to the first embodiment.
• Further, the series of images as the drug-source information show the drug D1 substantially at the fixed position. Therefore, the decreased state of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 and decreases (i.e., dissolved state of the drug D1) can be easily confirmed, and the amount of decrease of the drug D1 released as the drug solution D2 and decreases can be easily grasped through visual confirmation of the state of the drug D1 shown in each image of the series of images as the drug-source information. For example, as shown inFIG. 18, the decreased state of the drug D1 in the livingbody100 and the actual amount of decrease can be easily known through the comparison between width W1 of the drug D1 shown in the image as the drug-source information and width W2 of the drug D1 shown in the subsequently-captured image as the drug-source information.
• As described above, in the third modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so that the drug is held between the transparent holding plates in such a manner that the contact between the outer circumferential portion of the drug and the body fluid in the living body is not obstructed, the drug held between the holding plates is arranged at substantially the fixed position in the field of view of the imaging unit, the image covering the drug released to the site in the living body and decreases and the surrounding area of the drug is captured through the transparent holding plates, and the images covering the drug and the surrounding area are radio transmitted to the receiving apparatus outside the living body. Further, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so as to sequentially display the images received by the receiving apparatus on the display unit similarly to the first embodiment. Hence, in addition to the advantages and effects of the first embodiment, the third modification has an advantage that the series of images which allow for an easy confirmation of the decreased state of the drug which is released to the site in the living body and decreases can be captured. As a result, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system which have the advantages and effects of the first embodiment and allow for easy grasp of the decreased state and the decreased amount of the drug with respect to the site in the living body.
• Further, since the holding plates sandwiching the drug are supported at a fixed position in the field of view of the imaging unit, the drug can be held at a fixed position suitable for the imaging in the field of view until the capsule-type medical apparatus inserted into the interior of the living body together with the drug is excreted outside the living body. As a result, the image covering the drug which is released to the site in the living body and decreases and the surrounding area thereof can be more clearly captured, and the release condition of the drug with respect to the site in the living body can be easily confirmed.
Second Embodiment
• A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the image covering the drug D1 and the surrounding area of the drug D1 is captured as the drug-source information. In the second embodiment, the drug solution D2 in which the drug D1 held in the casing dissolves in the body fluid is discharged toward a site in the living body from the casing, and concentration of the drug solution D2 thus discharged is detected as the drug-source information.
• FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 20 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIGS. 19 and 20, a capsule-typemedical apparatus21 according to the second embodiment has adrug holding unit23, and acontrol unit29 in place of thedrug holding unit3 and thecontrol unit9, respectively, of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment. Further, the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 further includes aconcentration sensor24 that detects the drug-source information mentioned above. In other respects, the configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• Thedrug holding unit23 serves as a holding unit that holds the drug D1 in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body. Specifically, thedrug holding unit23 includes astorage unit23awhich holds the drug D1 and stores the drug solution D2 in which the drug D1 dissolves in the body fluid in the living body, and adischarge tube23bthat discharges the drug solution D2 stored in thestorage unit23a.
• Thestorage unit23ais formed inside thecasing2 and forms a drug holding space S1 to contain the drug D1. Further, thestorage unit23amakes the body fluid in the living body flow from outside thecasing2 into the drug holding space S1, and stores the drug solution D2 in which the drug D1 dissolves in the body fluid in the drug holding space S1. Thestorage unit23ais formed with awall member23cwhich separates the drug holding space S1 and an inner space of thecasing2 and asemipermeable membrane23dwhich forms a part of an outer wall of the casing2 (more specifically, the casingmain body2a).
• Thewall member23cis one of walls forming the drug holding space S1. Thewall member23cseparates the inner space of thecasing2 and the drug holding space S1, and secures liquid-tightness of two spaces. Further, an opening is formed in one portion of thewall member23c, and one end of thedischarge tube23bis connected to the opening of thewall member23c. Thedischarge tube23barranged at thewall member23ccommunicates with the drug holding space S1.
• Thesemipermeable membrane23dis one of the walls forming the drug holding space S1, and forms a part of the outer walls of the casingmain body2a. Thesemipermeable membrane23dblocks the drug D1 and the drug solution D2, and transmits only the body fluid in the living body. Thesemipermeable membrane23dmakes the body fluid in the living body flow into the drug holding space S1 due to osmotic pressure, and blocks in/outflow of the drug D1 and the drug solution D2 through thesemipermeable membrane23d.
• Thedischarge tube23bhas one end connected to the opening of thewall member23cand another end arranged outside the casing2 (e.g., near theoptical dome2b). Thedischarge tube23bcommunicates with the drug holding space S1 and discharges the drug solution D2 produced inside the drug holding space S1 to the site in the living body (i.e., outside the casing2).
• Theconcentration sensor24 serves as a detecting unit that detects the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D1 released to the site in the living body. Specifically, theconcentration sensor24 is arranged near a discharge outlet of thedischarge tube23band detects the drug concentration of the drug solution D2 which flows from the drug holding space S1 through thedischarge tube23band is discharged (released) to the site in the living body. The drug solution D2 stored in the drug holding space S1 is produced through dissolution of the drug D1 in the body fluid flowing through thesemipermeable membrane23dfrom the living body. Hence, the concentration of the drug D1 in the drug solution D2, i.e., the drug concentration of the drug solution D2 corresponds to the amount of decrease of the drug D1 which dissolves in the body fluid and decreases in the drug holding space S1. Thus, the drug concentration of the drug solution D2 serves as the drug-source information which indicates the release condition and the amount of decrease of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the living body as the drug solution D2 and decreases. Theconcentration sensor24 detects the drug concentration of the drug solution D2 as the drug-source information. Theconcentration sensor24 transmits the detected drug concentration of the drug solution D2, in other words, the drug-source information to thecontrol unit29.
• Thecontrol unit29 controls the driving of theimaging unit4, the illuminating-unit group5, theimage processing circuit6, and theradio communication unit7, substantially similarly to thecontrol unit9 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment, and further controls the driving of theconcentration sensor24. Thecontrol unit29 controls theconcentration sensor24 so as to detect the drug concentration of the drug solution D2 discharged from thedischarge tube23b, and controls the illuminating-unit group5 and theimaging unit4 in synchronization with the detection process of the drug concentration by theconcentration sensor24.
• Based on the control by thecontrol unit29, the illuminating-unit group5 illuminates the field of view A of theimaging unit4, and theimaging unit4 captures images of a subject located within the field of view A illuminated by the illuminating-unit group5 in synchronization with the operation of the illuminating-unit group5. Theimaging unit4 captures images of a site in the living body where the drug solution D2 is discharged from thedischarge tube23b, in other words, the site in the living body where the drug D1 is released as the drug solution D2. The image captured by theimaging unit4 serves as site information which indicates the site in the living body where the drug D1 is actually released as the drug solution D2. Theimaging unit4 sequentially captures the images as the site information.
• Thecontrol unit29 acquires the drug concentration as the drug-source information detected by theconcentration sensor24, and controls theradio communication unit7 so as to radio transmit the images as the site information captured in synchronization with the detection process of the drug concentration and the drug concentration as the drug-source information in association with each other. Based on the control by thecontrol unit29, theradio communication unit7 generates radio signals including the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information, and transmits the generated radio signals from theantenna8. Thus, the radio signals including the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information are sequentially transmitted to the outside of the living body.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of the drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 21, the drug delivery system according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 in place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 of the drug delivery system according to the first embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the second embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 is swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth while holding the drug D1 in the drug holding space S1 of thedrug holding unit23, and is inserted into the interior of the livingbody100. The capsule-typemedical apparatus21 moves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements and the like, and discharges (releases) the drug solution D2 which is a mixture of the drug D1 and the body fluid in the drug holding space S1 to the site in the livingbody100. The capsule-typemedical apparatus21 detects the drug concentration of the drug solution D2 (i.e., the drug-source information indicating the release condition and the amount of decrease of the drug D1), and acquires the images of the site inside the livingbody100 where the drug solution D2 is discharged (i.e., the site information indicating the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is released as the drug solution D2). The capsule-typemedical apparatus21 sequentially acquires the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information, and sequentially radio transmits the acquired drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information.
• The receivingapparatus11 sequentially receives the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information from the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 via one of the receivingantennas12ato12d. Theworkstation13 sequentially takes in the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information received by the receivingapparatus11 via thecable15, for example, and sequentially displays the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information on thedisplay unit14. Thus, theworkstation13 displays a series of pieces of the drug-source information (drug concentration) and the site information (images) detected by the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 in the livingbody100 on thedisplay unit14 in real time.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 inserted into the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 according to the second embodiment inserted into the living body.FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of a specific example of an image captured by the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 according to the second embodiment.
• As shown inFIG. 22, the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 inserted into the livingbody100 makes the body fluid in the livingbody100 flow into thestorage unit23a(i.e., into the drug holding space S1) via thesemipermeable membrane23d, and produces the drug solution D2 in which the drug D1 dissolves in the body fluid thus flowing inside in thestorage unit23a. The drug solution D2 in thestorage unit23athus produced is discharged (released) to the site in the livingbody100 after flowing through thedischarge tube23band discharged from thedischarge tube23b. The drug D1 in thestorage unit23agradually dissolves in the body fluid flowing into thestorage unit23avia thesemipermeable membrane23d, and is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2. Accordingly, the amount of the drug D1 gradually decreases.
• When the drug solution D2 is discharged to the site in the livingbody100, theconcentration sensor24 detects the drug concentration of the drug solution D2. In synchronization with the detection, theimaging unit4 captures images of the site in the livingbody100 where the drug solution D2 is discharged. The drug concentration detected by theconcentration sensor24 is concentration of the drug D1 contained in the drug solution D2 discharged to the site in the livingbody100 from thedischarge tube23b, and is the drug-source information which indicates the release condition and the amount of decrease of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2 and is decreased. Further, the images captured by theimaging unit4 is the site information indicating the site in the livingbody100 where the drug solution D2 containing the drug D1 is discharged (released) as shown inFIG. 23, for example.
• During the period after the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 is inserted into the livingbody100 and is naturally excreted outside the livingbody100, theconcentration sensor24 sequentially detects the drug concentration as the drug-source information every time the drug solution D2 is discharged from thedischarge tube23b, or every time a predetermined time elapses. In synchronization with the detection process of theconcentration sensor24, theimaging unit4 sequentially captures the images as the site information. The drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information are sequentially radio transmitted from theantenna8 by theradio communication unit7.
• The drug-source information (drug concentration) and the site information (images) sequentially radio transmitted from the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 are sequentially received by the receivingapparatus11, and sequentially taken into theworkstation13 via thecable15, for example. Thereafter, theworkstation13 displays the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information in association with each other in real time on thedisplay unit14.
• The series of pieces of drug-source information (drug concentration) displayed in real time on thedisplay unit14 indicate the release condition and the amount of decrease of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2, and the site information (images) displayed in association with respective pieces of the series of the drug-source information indicate the site in the livingbody100 where the drug solution D2 containing the drug D1 is released as shown inFIG. 23, for example. Therefore, the doctor or the nurse can confirm in real time the decreased state of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 and decreases and the site (e.g., stomach, duodenum, small intestine, or large intestine) within the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is actually released by sequentially visually confirming the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the images as the site information. As a result, the doctor or the nurse can confirm in real time the release condition of the drug D1 with respect to the site in the livingbody100, and confirm in real time whether the drug D1 is actually released to a desirable site (i.e., site such as an affected site which is a release target of the drug D1) in the livingbody100 even while the capsule-typemedical apparatus21 is in the livingbody100.
• Further, the visual confirmation of the drug concentration as the drug-source information allows for easily grasping the decreased amount (i.e., the released amount of the drug D1 to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2) of the drug D1 which is difficult to know merely from the images captured by theimaging unit4 as shown inFIG. 23, for example.
• As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so that the drug solution is produced through the dissolution of the drug in the body fluid flowing from inside the living body to the drug holding space holding the drug, the drug solution in the drug holding space is discharged to the site in the living body, the drug concentration of the drug solution is detected, the images of the site in the living body where the drug solution is discharged are captured, and the drug concentration and the images in the living body are radio transmitted to the receiving apparatus outside in association with each other. Further, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so as to sequentially display the drug concentration and the image received by the receiving apparatus as a pair on the display unit. Hence, the release condition of the drug to the interior of the living body and the decreased amount of the drug at the discharge, and the site in the living body where the drug is released can be confirmed in real time through the visual confirmation of the pair of drug concentration and the image sequentially displayed on the display unit even while the drug is in the living body. As a result, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the same which allow for real-time confirmation on whether the drug is actually released to the site in the living body and real-time confirmation of the site in the living body where the drug is actually released, and the decreased amount of drug at the discharge.
Third Embodiment
• A third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the image covering the drug D1 and the surrounding area of the drug D1 is captured as the drug-source information. In the third embodiment, the drug D1 is held between a light-emitting surface of a light-emitting-element group and a light-receiving surface of a light-receiving element, and the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D1 is detected based on light intensity of light emitted from the light-emitting-element group and received by the light-receiving element.
• FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of an example of a disassembled state of the capsule-like casing.FIG. 26 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third embodiment.
• The capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third embodiment detects light intensity as the drug-source information using the light-emitting-element group and the light-receiving element arranged so as to sandwich the drug D1 therebetween instead of acquiring the image as the drug-source information as in the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment, and further detects pH value of body fluid indicating the site in the living body where the drug D1 is released as the site information.
• As shown inFIGS. 24 to 26, a capsule-typemedical apparatus31 according to the third embodiment includes acasing32 in which adrug holding space33 is formed to hold the drug D1, a drug-state detecting unit36 which detects the state of the drug D1, apH sensor37 which detects pH value of the body fluid in the living body, and acontrol unit39 which controls the driving of each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus31. The drug-state detecting unit36 is configured with a light-emitting-element group34 and a light-receivingelement35 that are arranged so as to oppose with each other with the drug D1 placed therebetween. The capsule-typemedical apparatus31 further includes, similarly to the capsule-typemedial apparatus1 according to the first embodiment, theradio communication unit7, theantenna8, and thepower supply unit10 which supplies driving power to each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus31.
• Thecasing32 is a capsule-shaped casing formed in a suitable size for the insertion into the living body. The casing32 houses each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus31, such as the drug-state detecting unit36, thepH sensor37, thecontrol unit39, theradio communication unit7, theantenna8, and thepower supply unit10. Thecasing32 forms thedrug holding space33 that holds the drug D1. Further, thecasing32 is formed withpartial casings32aand32bthat sandwich the drug D1 therebetween, and a connectingmember32cthat connects thepartial casings32aand32b. Thecasing32 can be easily swallowed by the living body from the mouth, and easily move through the digestive tract of the living body following the peristaltic movements and the like.
• Thepartial casings32aand32bare formed as two divided portions of the capsule-like casing32, and are connected by the connectingmember32c. Specifically, thepartial casing32bis a light-emitting-side partial casing in which the light-emitting-element group34 is arranged, whereas thepartial casing32ais a light-receiving-side partial casing in which the light-receivingelement35 is arranged. Thepartial casings32aand32bare arranged in such a manner that each light-emitting surface of the light-emitting-element group23 opposes to the light-receiving surface of the light-receivingelement35, and are connected by the connectingmember32c.
• The connectingmember32cserves as a connecting unit that connects thepartial casings32aand32b, and also serves as a holding unit that holds the drug D1 between thepartial casings32aand32b. Specifically, the connectingmember32cconnects thepartial casings32aand32bby penetrating a through hole formed at a central portion of the drug D1 as shown inFIG. 25, for example. Thepartial casings32aand32bconnected by the connectingmember32cplace each light-emitting surface of the light-emitting-element group34 opposite to the light-receiving surface of the light-receivingelement35, and form thedrug holding space33 sandwiched between the light-emitting-element group34 and the light-receivingelement35. The connectingmember32cholds the drug D1 in thedrug holding space33 sandwiched between thepartial casings32aand32b. The drug D1 is held in a releasable manner with respect to the site in the living body by the connectingmember32c.
• The drug-state detecting unit36 is configured with the light-emitting-element group34 and the light-receivingelement35 that oppose with each other sandwiching the drug D1 held in thedrug holding space33, and detects the state of the drug D1. The drug-state detecting unit36 serves as a detecting unit that optically detects the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D1 to the site in the living body.
• Specifically, the light-emitting-element group34 has plural light-emittingelements34a. The plural light-emittingelements34aare realized with LEDs, for example, and are arranged to thepartial casing32bopposite to the light-receiving surface of the light-receivingelement35 with the drug D1 therebetween. Here, the plural light-emittingelements34aare arranged on the surface opposite to the light-receiving surface of the light-receivingelement35 in a column-like shape, a cross-like shape, or a matrix-like shape. The plural light-emittingelements34aemit light of predetermined intensity to the drug D1 or the light-receiving surface of the light-receivingelement35 according to the release condition of the drug D1 to the site in the living body. The light emitted by each of the plural light-emittingelements34ais blocked by the drug D1 when the drug D1 in thedrug holding space33 has not substantially been released to the site in the living body. Thereafter, as the drug D1 is released to the site in the living body and decreases, the number of light-emittingelements34athat directly oppose to the light-receivingelement35 increases. Therefore, the light intensity of light from the light-emitting-element group34 received by the light-receivingelement35 gradually increases along with the decrease of the drug D1.
• The light-receivingelement35 is realized with a photodiode or a CCD, for example, and is arranged to thepartial casing32aso as to oppose to each light-emitting surface of the light-emitting-element group34 across the drug D1. The light-receivingelement35 receives the light emitted from each light-emittingelement34aof the light-emitting-element group34, and detects a light-receiving area (i.e., received light intensity) of the light received from the light-emittingelement34a. The light-receivingelement35 changes the light-receiving area of the light received from the light-emitting-element group34 according to the release condition of the drug D1 to the site in the living body. Specifically, the light-receiving area of the light-receivingelement35, i.e., the received light intensity of the light-receivingelement35 gradually increases along with the release and decrease of the drug D1 in thedrug holding space33 to the site in the living body. Therefore, the received light intensity of the light-receivingelement35 corresponds to the decreased amount of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the living body and decreases. Therefore, the received light intensity of the light-receivingelement35 serves as the drug-source information that indicates the release condition and the decreased amount of the drug D1 which is released as the drug solution D2 to the site in the living body and decreases. The light-receivingelement35 detects the received light intensity of the light emitted from the light-emitting-element group34 as the drug-source information. Thelight receiving element35 transmits the detected received light intensity, i.e., the drug-source information to thecontrol unit39.
• ThepH sensor37 serves as a site detecting unit that detects the site in the living body where the drug D1 is released as the drug solution D2. Specifically, thepH sensor37 is arranged near an outer wall surface of thepartial casing32a, for example, to detect pH value of the body fluid in the living body. The pH value of the body fluid varies depending on the sites in the living body. For example, pH value of the body fluid takes a value indicating strong acid in the stomach, whereas takes a value indicating neutral in the small intestine. Therefore, thepH sensor37 detects the pH value of the body fluid in the living body as the site information indicating the site in the living body where the drug D1 is released as the drug solution D2. ThepH sensor37 transmits detected pH values, i.e., the site information to thecontrol unit39.
• Thecontrol unit39 controls the driving of each of the light-emittingelement34aof the light-emitting-element group34, the light-receivingelement35, thepH sensor37, and theradio communication unit7. Thecontrol unit39 controls each of the light-emittingelements34aso as to emit light every time a predetermined time elapses, and controls the light-receivingelement35 so as to detect the received light intensity as the drug-source information. In synchronization therewith, thecontrol unit39 controls thepH sensor37 so as to detect the pH value as the site information.
• Based on the control by thecontrol unit39, the plural light-emittingelements34aemit light at predetermined intervals, and the light-receivingelement35 sequentially detects the received light intensity as the drug-source information at predetermined intervals, and sequentially transmits the detected received light intensity as the drug-source information to thecontrol unit39. In synchronization therewith, thepH sensor37 sequentially detects the pH value as the site information, and sequentially transmits the detected pH value to thecontrol unit39 as the site information.
• Thecontrol unit39 acquires the received light intensity detected by the light-receivingelement35 as the drug-source information, and acquires the pH value detected by thepH sensor37 as the site information. Thecontrol unit39 controls theradio communication unit7 so as to radio transmit the drug concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information in association with each other. Based on the control by thecontrol unit39, theradio communication unit7 generates radio signals including the received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information, and transmits the generated radio signals from theantenna8. Thus, the radio signals including the received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information are sequentially transmitted to the outside of the living body.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of the drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 27, the drug delivery system according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 in place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 of the drug delivery system according to the first embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the third embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 is swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth while holding the drug D1 in thedrug holding space33 and is inserted into the livingbody100. The capsule-typemedical apparatus31 moves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following peristaltic movements and the like, while releasing the drug D1 in thedrug holding space33 to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2. The capsule-typemedical apparatus31 detects the received light intensity (i.e., the drug-source information indicating the release condition and the decreased amount of the drug D1) of the light-receivingelement35 which increases along with the decrease of the drug D1 at predetermined intervals, and at the same time, detects the pH value (i.e., the site information indicating the site where the drug D1 is released in the living body100) of the body fluid at the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is released as the drug solution D2. The capsule-typemedical apparatus31 sequentially acquires the received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information, and sequentially radio transmits the acquired received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information.
• The receivingapparatus11 sequentially receives the received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information from the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 via one of the receivingantennas12ato12d. Theworkstation13 sequentially takes in the received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information received by the receivingapparatus11 via thecable15, for example, and sequentially displays the received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information on thedisplay unit14. Thus, theworkstation13 displays in real time a series of pieces of drug-source information (received light intensity of the light-receiving element35) and the site information (pH value of the body fluid in the living body) detected by the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 in the livingbody100.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 inserted into the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 according to the third embodiment inserted into the living body. As shown inFIG. 28, the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 inserted into the livingbody100 holds the drug D1 in thedrug holding space33, and brings the drug D1 into contact with the body fluid in the livingbody100. The drug D1 gradually dissolves in the body fluid in the livingbody100 from the outer circumferential portion to the central portion, and is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2 and gradually decreases.
• Each of the plural light-emittingelements34aemits light at predetermined intervals to the drug D1 which is released and gradually decreasing or the light-receiving surface of the light-receivingelement35. The light-receivingelement35 receives the light not blocked by the drug D1 of the light emitted by the plural light-emittingelements34ato detect the received light intensity of the received light. In synchronization with the detection, thepH sensor37 detects the pH value of the body fluid at the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is released as the drug solution D2.
• The received light intensity detected by the light-receivingelement35 increases along with the decrease of the drug D1 held in thedrug holding space33, and is the drug-source information indicating the release condition and the decreased amount of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2 and decreases. The pH value detected by thepH sensor37 is the site information indicating the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is released as the drug solution D2.
• The light-receivingelement35 sequentially detects the received light intensity as the drug-source information every time a predetermined time elapses during the period after the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 is inserted into the livingbody100 until naturally excreted outside the livingbody100. In synchronization with the detection process of the light-receivingelement35, thepH sensor37 sequentially detects the pH value as the site information. The received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information are sequentially radio transmitted from theantenna8 by theradio communication unit7.
• The drug-source information (received light intensity of light received by the light-receiving element35) and the site information (pH value of the body fluid) sequentially radio transmitted from the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 are sequentially received by the receivingapparatus11, and sequentially taken into theworkstation13 via thecable15, for example. Thereafter, the received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information are displayed on thedisplay unit14 of theworkstation13 in association with each other in real time.
• The series of pieces of drug-source information (received light intensity of the light received by the light-receiving element35) displayed in real time on thedisplay unit14 indicate the release condition and the decreased amount of the drug D1 released to the site in the livingbody100 as the drug solution D2. The site information (pH value of the body fluid) displayed in association with respective pieces of the series of drug-source information indicates the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is released. The doctor or the nurse can confirm in real time the decreased amount of the drug D1 which is released to the site in the living body and decreases, and the site (e.g., stomach, duodenum, small intestine, or large intestine) in the livingbody100 where the drug D1 is actually released by sequentially and visually confirming the received light intensity as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information. As a result, the doctor or the nurse can confirm in real time the release condition of the drug D1 to the site in the livingbody100, and also confirm in real time whether the drug D1 is actually released to a desirable site (i.e., site such as an affected site as a release target of the drug D1) in the livingbody100 or not even while the capsule-typemedical apparatus31 is in the livingbody100.
• As described above, the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention is configured so that the drug is held between the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting-element group and the light-receiving surface of the light-receiving element opposing with each other, the received light intensity of the light-receiving element which increases along with the decrease in the drug is detected, the pH value of the body fluid at the site in the living body where the drug is released is detected, and the detected received light intensity of the light-receiving element and the pH value of the body fluid are radio transmitted to the receiving apparatus outside in association with each other. Further, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so that the pairs of received light intensities and pH values received by the receiving apparatus are sequentially displayed on the display unit. Hence, it is possible to confirm the release condition of the drug to the living body, the decreased amount of drug at the time of release, and the site in the living body where the drug is released can be confirmed in real time through the visual confirmation of the pairs of received light intensities and the pH values of the body fluid sequentially displayed on the display unit even while the drug is inside the living body. As a result, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the same in a simple configuration so as to allow for real-time confirmation of whether the drug is actually released to the site in the living body, and real-time confirmation of the site in the living body where the drug is actually released and the decreased amount of the drug at the time of release.
Fourth Embodiment
• A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the image covering the drug D1 and the surrounding area of the drug D1 is captured as the drug-source information. In the fourth embodiment, the body fluid in the living body is collected, and the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug to the site in the living body is detected based on the collected body fluid.
• FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 30 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. A capsule-typemedical apparatus41 according to the fourth embodiment collects the body fluid at the site in the living body instead of acquiring the image as the drug-source information as in the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment, to detect the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug to the site in the living body based on the collected body fluid. Further, the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 detects the pH value of the body fluid as the site information indicating the site in the living body where the drug is released.
• As shown inFIGS. 29 and 30, the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 includes a capsule-like casing42, adrug holding unit43 which holds and discharges a liquid drug D3, a body-fluid collecting unit44 which collects the body fluid in the living body, aconcentration sensor45 which detects concentration of bacteria, for example, in the body fluid collected by the body-fluid collecting unit44, apH sensor46 which detects the pH value of the body fluid in the living body, and acontrol unit49 which controls the driving of each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus41. Further, the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 includes, similarly to the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment, theradio communication unit7, theantenna8, and thepower supply unit10 that supplies the driving power to each component of the capsule-typemedical apparatus41.
• Thecasing42 is a capsule-like casing formed in a suitable size for the insertion into the living body, and houses respective components of the capsule-typemedical apparatus41, such as thedrug holding unit43, the body-fluid collecting unit44, theconcentration sensor45, thepH sensor46, thecontrol unit49, theradio communication unit7, theantenna8, and thepower supply unit10. Thecasing42 can be easily swallowed by the living body from the mouth, for example, and can easily move inside the digestive tract of the living body following the peristaltic movements and the like.
• Thedrug holding unit43 serves as a holding unit that holds the liquid drug D3, and also serves as a drug-discharging unit that discharges (releases) the drug D3 to the site in the living body. Specifically, thedrug holding unit43 includes aballoon43athat holds the drug D3 and discharges the drug D3 according to contraction force of itself, andischarge tube43bthat channels the drug D3 discharged from theballoon43ato the outside of the casing42 (i.e., the site in the living body), and avalve43cthat adjusts a communicated state between theballoon43aand thedischarge tube43b.
• Theballoon43ais realized with an elastic member such as rubber. When the liquid drug D3 is injected to theballoon43a,theballoon43aexpands and stores the drug D3 inside maintaining the expanded state. Theballoon43aworks to discharge the contained drug D3 according to the contraction force of itself latent in the expanded state.
• Thedischarge tube43bhas one end connected to theballoon43aand another end inserted into an opening of thecasing42. Thedischarge tube43bcommunicates an interior of theballoon43a(i.e., an internal space where the drug D3 is held) with the outside of thecasing42 when thevalve43cis driven to be open, and releases the drug D3 discharged from theballoon43ato the outside of thecasing42, i.e., to the site in the living body.
• Thevalve43cadjusts the communicated state of theballoon43aand thedischarge tube43b. Specifically, thevalve43ccommunicates theballoon43awith thedischarge tube43bwhen driven to open under the control of thecontrol unit49. Theballoon43aapplies pressure to the drug D3 by its own contraction force and discharges the drug D3. The drug D3 discharged from theballoon43apasses through thevalve43cand thedischarge tube43b, so as to be released to the site in the living body. On the other hand, thevalve43cblocks the communication between theballoon43aand thedischarge tube43bwhen driven to be closed under the control of thecontrol unit49. Theballoon43athen stops the discharge operation of the drug D3.
• The body-fluid collecting unit44 collects the body fluid in the living body to detect the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D3 to the site in the living body. Specifically, the body-fluid collecting unit44 includes apump44awhich sucks (collects) the body fluid from the site in the living body, a body-fluid storage unit44bwhich stores the body fluid sucked by thepump44a, and asuction tube44cwhich channels the body fluid sucked by thepump44ato the body-fluid storage unit44b.
• Thepump44asucks (collects) the body fluid in the site in the living body under the control of thecontrol unit49. Thesuction tube44chas one end connected to the body-fluid storage unit44band another end inserted into an opening of thecasing42. Thesuction tube44cchannels the body fluid sucked by thepump44ato the body-fluid storage unit44b. The body-fluid storage unit44bobtains the body fluid in the living body through thesuction tube44cand stores the obtained body fluid.
• Theconcentration sensor45 serves as a detecting unit that detects the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D3 with respect to the site in the living body based on the body fluid collected in the living body by the body-fluid collecting unit44. Specifically, theconcentration sensor45 is provided in the body-fluid storage unit44b, for example, so as to detect the concentration of bacteria in the body fluid (i.e., bacteria concentration in the body fluid) in the living body stored in the body-fluid storage unit44b. When the drug D3 is released to the site in the living body from thedrug holding unit43, for example, the body fluid in the site in the living body is sterilized, and the bacteria concentration in the body fluid decreases. The body-fluid collecting unit44 collects the body fluid of such a state in the living body. In other words, when the drug D3 is released to the site in the living body from thedrug holding unit43, the body-fluid storage unit44bstores the body fluid whose bacteria concentration is decreased due to sterilizing effect of the drug D3. The bacteria concentration of the body fluid in the body-fluid storage unit44bcorresponds to the decreased amount of the drug D3 which is discharged by theballoon43aand decreases. Therefore, the bacteria concentration of the body fluid serves as the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D3 which is released from theballoon43ato the site in the living body and decreases. Theconcentration sensor45 detects the bacteria concentration in the body fluid as the drug-source information. Theconcentration sensor45 transmits the detected bacteria concentration of the body fluid, i.e., the drug-source information to thecontrol unit49.
• ThepH sensor46 serves as a site detecting unit that detects the site in the living body where the drug D3 is released. Specifically, thepH sensor46 is provided near the outer wall surface of thecasing42, for example, and detects the pH value of the body fluid in the living body. The pH value of the body fluid varies according to the site in the living body, as mentioned above. ThepH sensor46 detects the pH value of the body fluid in the living body as the site information indicating the site in the living body where the drug D3 is released. ThepH sensor46 transmits the detected pH value, i.e., the site information to thecontrol unit49.
• Thecontrol unit49 controls the driving of each of thevalve43cof thedrug holding unit43, thepump44aof the body-fluid collecting unit44, theconcentration sensor45, thepH sensor46, and theradio communication unit7. Thecontrol unit49 controls to drive the opening/closing of thevalve43cevery time a predetermined time elapses, for example. In synchronization with the open-driving of thevalve43c, thecontrol unit49 controls thepH sensor46 to detect the pH value as the site information. Then, thecontrol unit49 controls thepump44ato suck (collect) the body fluid in the living body. Thereafter, the control unit controls the concentration sensor to detect the bacteria concentration of the body fluid as the drug-source information.
• Based on the control by thecontrol unit49, thevalve43crepeats the open/close driving at predetermined intervals. ThepH sensor46 sequentially detects the pH value of the body fluid in the living body in synchronization with the open-driving of thevalve43cand sequentially transmits the obtained pH value as the site information to thecontrol unit49. Theballoon43adischarges the drug D3 to the site in the living body at predetermined intervals based on the open/close driving of thevalve43c. Further, based on the control by thecontrol unit49, thepump44asucks the body fluid in the living body into the body-fluid storage unit44b, and theconcentration sensor45 sequentially detects the bacteria concentration of the body fluid stored in the body-fluid storage unit44band sequentially transmits the obtained bacteria concentration (i.e., drug-source information) of the body fluid to thecontrol unit49.
• Thecontrol unit49 obtains the bacteria concentration detected by theconcentration sensor45 as the drug-source information and the pH value detected by thepH sensor46 as the site information. Thecontrol unit49 controls theradio communication unit7 so as to radio transmit the obtained bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information in association with each other. Based on the control by thecontrol unit49, theradio communication unit7 generates the radio signals including the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information, and transmits the generated radio signals from theantenna8. The radio signals including the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information are sequentially transmitted to the outside of the living body.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of the drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 31, the drug delivery system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 in place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 of the drug delivery system according to the first embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system according to the fourth embodiment is the same with that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the fourth embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 is swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth while the liquid drug D3 is held in theballoon43a, and inserted into the livingbody100. The capsule-typemedical apparatus41 moves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements or the like, and discharges (releases) the drug D3 in theballoon43ato the site in the livingbody100 at predetermined intervals. The capsule-typemedical apparatus41 detects the pH value (i.e., the site information indicating the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D3 is released) of the body fluid at the site in the living body. Further, the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 collects the body fluid at the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D3 is released, and detects the bacteria concentration (i.e., the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D3) of the collected body fluid. The capsule-typemedical apparatus41 sequentially acquires the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information, and sequentially radio transmit the acquired bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the acquired pH value as the site information.
• The receivingapparatus11 sequentially receives the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information from the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 via one of the receivingantennas12ato12d. Theworkstation13 sequentially takes in the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information as received by the receivingapparatus11 via thecable15, for example, and sequentially displays the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information on thedisplay unit14. Thus, theworkstation13 displays in real time a series of pieces of drug-source information (i.e., bacteria concentration of the collected body fluid) and the site information (i.e., pH value of the body fluid at the site in the living body) as detected by the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 in the livingbody100 on thedisplay unit14.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 in the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 according to the fourth embodiment inserted into the living body. As shown inFIG. 32, the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 inserted into the livingbody100 discharges the drug D3 held in theballoon43aaccording to the open-driving of thevalve43cat predetermined intervals. The drug D3 discharged from theballoon43apasses through thedischarge tube43band thevalve43c, and is released to the site in the livingbody100. The drug D3 in theballoon43ais released to the site in the livingbody100 and gradually decreases. Further, at the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D3 is released, the bacteria concentration of the body fluid is decreased due to the sterilizing effect of the drug D3.
• In synchronization with the open-driving of thevalve43c, thepH sensor46 detects the pH value of the body fluid at the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D3 is released. The pH value detected by thepH sensor46 is the site information indicating the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D3 is released. ThepH sensor46 sequentially detects the pH value as the site information in synchronization with the open-driving of thevalve43c.
• On the other hand, when the drug D3 is released to the site in the livingbody100 as described above, thepump44asucks the body fluid in the livingbody100 which is sterilized by the drug D3. The body fluid sucked by thepump44apasses through thesuction tube44cand is stored in the body-fluid storage unit44b. The bacteria concentration of the body fluid stored in the body-fluid storage unit44bis low due to the sterilizing effect of the drug D3. Theconcentration sensor45 detects the bacteria concentration of the body fluid stored in the body-fluid storage unit44b. The bacteria concentration detected by theconcentration sensor45 is the bacteria concentration of the body fluid sterilized by the drug D3 released from theballoon43ato the site in the livingbody100, and is the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D3 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 and decreases.
• During the period after the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 is inserted into the livingbody100 until naturally excreted outside the livingbody100, theconcentration sensor45 sequentially detects the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information every time the drug D3 is released to the site in the livingbody100, in other words, every time thevalve43cis driven to be open. The bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information are sequentially radio transmitted from theantenna8 by theradio communication unit7.
• The drug-source information (i.e., bacteria concentration of the collected body fluid) and the site information (i.e., pH value of the body fluid at the site in the living body) sequentially radio transmitted from the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 are sequentially received by the receivingapparatus11 as described above, and sequentially taken into theworkstation13 via thecable15, for example. Thereafter, the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information are displayed in real time on thedisplay unit14 of theworkstation13 in association with each other.
• The series of pieces of the drug-source information (i.e., bacteria concentration) displayed in real time on thedisplay unit14 indicate the release condition of the drug D3 released to the site in the livingbody100, whereas the site information (i.e., pH values) displayed in association with respective pieces of the drug-source information indicates the site in the livingbody100 where the drug D3 is released. Therefore, the doctor or the nurse can confirm in real time the decreased state of the drug D3 which is released to the site in the livingbody100 and decreases and the site (e.g., stomach, duodenum, small intestine, or large intestine) in the livingbody100 where the drug D3 is actually released by sequentially and visually confirming the bacteria concentration as the drug-source information and the pH value as the site information. As a result, the doctor or the nurse can confirm the release condition of the drug D3 with respect to the site in the livingbody100 in real time and also confirm whether the drug D3 is actually released to a desirable site (i.e., site such as an affected site as a release target of the drug D3) in the livingbody100 in real time even while the capsule-typemedical apparatus41 is in the livingbody100.
• As described above, the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fourth embodiment is configured so that the liquid drug held in the drug holding unit is released to the site in the living body, the body fluid at the site of the living body where the drug is released is collected, the drug-source information (e.g. bacteria concentration of the collected body fluid) indicating the release condition of the drug to the site in the living body is detected based on the collected body fluid, the pH value (i.e., the site information indicating the site in the living body) of the body fluid at the site in the living body where the drug is released is detected, and the drug-source information and the site information are radio transmitted to the receiving apparatus outside in association with each other. Further, the capsule-type medical apparatus is configured so that the pairs of the drug-source information (bacteria concentration) and the site information (pH value) received by the receiving apparatus are sequentially displayed on the display unit. Therefore, even while the drug is in the living body, it is possible to confirm the release condition of the drug to the living body and the site in the living body where the drug is released in real time through the visual confirmation of the pairs of the drug-source information and the site information sequentially displayed on the display unit. As a result, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the capsule-type medical apparatus which allow for real-time confirmation of whether the drug is actually released to the site in the living body, and real-time confirmation of the site in the living body where the drug is actually released.
• Further, since the body fluid in the living body is collected and stored in the body-fluid storage unit in the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, symptom of the interior of the living body and a condition of the bacteria can be grasped in detail through the collection and analysis of the body fluid stored in the body-fluid storage unit.
Fifth Embodiment
• A fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. A capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fifth embodiment has the same configuration as that of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment. In addition, the capsule-type medical apparatus of the fifth embodiment includes a body-fluid collecting unit that collects the body fluid in the living body. Further, a drug delivery system according to the fifth embodiment has the same configuration as that of the drug delivery system according to the first embodiment, and further includes an analyzing apparatus that analyzes the body fluid inside the living body collected by the capsule-type medical apparatus.
• FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 34 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIGS. 33 and 34, a capsule-typemedical apparatus51 according to the fifth embodiment includes acontrol unit59 in place of thecontrol unit9 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment, and further includes a body-fluid collecting unit54 that collects the body fluid in the living body. In other respects, the configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fifth embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• The body-fluid collecting unit54 serves as a body-fluid collecting unit that collects the body fluid in the living body based on the control by thecontrol unit59. Specifically, the body-fluid collecting unit54 includes apump54awhich sucks (collects) the body fluid from the site in the living body, a body-fluid storage unit54bwhich stores the body fluid sucked by thepump54a, and asuction tube54cthat channels the body fluid sucked by thepump54ato the body-fluid storage unit54b.
• Thepump54asucks (collects) the body fluid at an optional site in the living body based on the control by thecontrol unit59. Thesuction tube54chas one end connected to the body-fluid storage unit54band another end inserted into the opening of the casing2 (more specifically the casingmain body2a). Thesuction tube54cchannels the body fluid sucked by thepump54ato the body-fluid storage unit54b. The body-fluid storage unit54bacquires the body fluid in the living body through thesuction tube54cand stores the obtained body fluid.
• Thecontrol unit59 has a similar function to thecontrol unit9 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment. In addition, thecontrol unit59 controls the driving of thepump54aof the body-fluid collecting unit54. Thecontrol unit59 controls the driving of thepump54aat desirable timing set in advance, for example. Based on the control by thecontrol unit59, thepump54asucks (collects) the body fluid at an optional site (e.g., a desirable site where the drug D1 is released) in the living body into the body-fluid storage unit54b.
• The drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of the drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 35, the drug delivery system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 in place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 of the drug delivery system according to the first embodiment, and further includes an analyzing apparatus90 which analyzes the body fluid in the livingbody100 collected by the capsule-typemedical apparatus51. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system according to the fifth embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the fifth embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 is swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth, moves through the sites in the living body successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements or the like, and releases the drug D1, similarly to the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment. At the same time, the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 in the livingbody100, similarly to the capsule-typemedical apparatus1, sequentially captures the images as the drug-source information and sequentially radio transmits the captured images as the drug-source information to the receivingapparatus11 outside.
• On the other hand, the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 in the livingbody100 collects the body fluid at an optional site in the livingbody100 and stores the collected body fluid of the livingbody100. Thereafter, the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 storing the body fluid is naturally excreted outside the livingbody100. The capsule-typemedical apparatus51 naturally excreted from the livingbody100 is collected, and the body fluid of the livingbody100 stored in the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 is analyzed by the analyzing apparatus90.
• The analyzing apparatus90 analyzes a sample from inside the living body collected into anadjunctive container91. Specifically, the body fluid in the livingbody100 is collected from the body-fluid storage unit54bof the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 naturally excreted from the livingbody100, and the collected body fluid from the livingbody100 is injected into thecontainer91. Thecontainer91 in which the body fluid from the livingbody100 is injected is placed into the analyzing apparatus90. The analyzing apparatus90 analyzes the sample (i.e., the body fluid in the living body100) in thecontainer91. The analyzing apparatus90 outputs symptom inside the livingbody100, efficacy and effect of the drug D1 delivered to the livingbody100, and a condition of bacteria inside the livingbody100 as a result of analysis of the body fluid in the livingbody100.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 collecting the body fluid in the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram of the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 according to the fifth embodiment collecting the body fluid in the living body. As shown inFIG. 36, the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 inserted into the livingbody100 moves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements or the like, and thereafter collects the body fluid at an optional site in the livingbody100.
• Specifically, the body-fluid collecting unit54 collects the body fluid at an optional site in the livingbody100 based on the control by thecontrol unit59. Thepump54asucks the body fluid (e.g., the body fluid at the site where the drug D1 is released) at the optional site in the livingbody100. The body fluid sucked by thepump54apasses through thesuction tube54cand is stored in the body-fluid storage unit54b. The body-fluid storage unit54bholds the body fluid collected from the livingbody100 until the body fluid is collected into thecontainer91 as mentioned above.
• As described above, the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the fifth embodiment is configured so that the same function and configuration as those of the first embodiment are provided, the body fluid of an optional site in the living body is collected, and the collected body fluid is stored, and the body fluid collected from the living body is analyzed. Therefore, in addition to the advantages and the effects of the first embodiment, the fifth embodiment has an advantage that the body fluid at the site in the living body where the drug is released can be collected and the body fluid at the site where the drug is released can be analyzed. As a result, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the same that have the advantages and the effects of the first embodiment, and allow for acquisition of living-body-related medical information such as a symptom of an interior of a living body, an effect (or efficacy) of a drug, and a condition of bacteria.
Sixth Embodiment
• A sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the body fluid is collected at one optional site in the living body. In the sixth embodiment, plural body-fluid collecting units are provided in the capsule-type medical apparatus, and the body fluid is collected at one optional site in the living body plural times, and the collected body fluid is stored in each of plural body-fluid storage unit separately.
• FIG. 37 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a capsule-type medical apparatus according to the sixth embodiment.FIG. 38 is a schematic block diagram of one exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the sixth embodiment. As shown inFIGS. 37 and 38, a capsule-typemedical apparatus61 according to the sixth embodiment includes plural body-fluid collecting units64 to67 and acontrol unit69 in place of the body-fluid collecting unit54 and thecontrol unit59 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 according to the fifth embodiment, respectively. The capsule-typemedical apparatus61 further includes adetainment unit68 for detaining the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 at one optional site in the living body. In other respects, the configuration of the sixth embodiment is the same as that of the fifth embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• The plural body-fluid collecting units64 to67 serve to collect the body fluid at one optional site in the living body plural times. Each of the body-fluid collecting units64 to67 is configured substantially similarly to the body-fluid collecting unit54 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 according to the fifth embodiment. Specifically, the body-fluid collecting unit64 has apump64a, a body-fluid storage unit64b, and asuction tube64c; the body-fluid collecting unit65 has apump65a, a body-fluid storage unit65b, and asuction tube65c; the body-fluid collecting unit66 has apump66a, a body-fluid storage unit66b, and asuction tube66c; and the body-fluid collecting unit67 has apump67a, a body-fluid storage unit67b, and asuction tube67c. As far as there are plural body-fluid collecting units as exemplified by the body-fluid collecting units64 to67 in the capsule-typemedical apparatus61, the number of the body-fluid collecting units is not limited to four.
• Thepumps64ato67asuck (collect) the body fluid at one optional site in the living body plural times under the control of thecontrol unit69. Thesuction tubes64cto67cchannel the body fluid in the living body sucked by thepumps64ato67ainto the body-fluid storage units64bto67b, respectively. Thesuction tube64chas one end connected to the body-fluid storage unit64band another end inserted into the opening of the casingmain body2a; thesuction tube65chas one end connected to the body-fluid storage unit66band another end inserted into the opening of the casingmain body2a; and thesuction tube67chas one end connected to the body-fluid storage unit67band another end inserted into the opening of the casingmain body2a.
• The body-fluid storage units64bto67bstore the body fluid sucked (collected) from one optional site in the living body at plural times separately. Specifically, the body-fluid storage unit64bstores the body fluid sucked by thepump64a; the body-fluid storage unit65bstores the body fluid sucked by thepump65a; the body-fluid storage unit66bstores the body fluid sucked by thepump66a; and the body-fluid storage unit67bstores the body fluid sucked by thepump67a.
• Thedetainment unit68 serves to detain the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 at one optional site in the living body where the body fluid is collected by the body-fluid collecting units64 to67. Specifically, thedetainment unit68 is arranged near the outer wall surface of the casingmain body2a, and has ahook68awhich is stuck into one site in the living body and engaged therewith, and a drivingunit68bwhich pushes out thehook68a.
• Thehook68ais projected outside the casingmain body2athrough the opening formed in the casingmain body2a. Thehook68ais stuck into the site in the living body and detains the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 at the site. The drivingunit68bis realized with an elastic member or the like, for example, which serves to push thehook68aoutside. The drivingunit68bdetains thehook68ain the casingmain body2a, and releases thehook68aunder the control of thecontrol unit69. For example, the drivingunit68bpushes thehook68aoutside the casingmain body2ausing an elastic force of the elastic member. Thus, the drivingunit68bsticks thehook68ainto the site in the living body.
• Thecontrol unit69 has substantially similar functions to that of thecontrol unit59 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 according to the fifth embodiment. Thecontrol unit69 has substantially similar function to that of thecontrol unit9 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus1 according to the first embodiment, and in addition, controls the driving of each of thepumps64ato67a, and the drivingunit68b. Thecontrol unit69 controls the driving unit at a desirable timing previously set, for example, and thereafter sequentially controls thepumps64ato67aevery time a predetermined time elapses.
• Based on the control by thecontrol unit69, the drivingunit68bsticks thehook68ainto an optional site in the living body (e.g., a desirable site where the drug D1 is released). Thereafter, thepumps64ato67asequentially suck (collect) the body fluid from the optional site in the living body where the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 is detained by thehook68aevery predetermined time. Thus, moieties of the body fluid sucked by thepumps64ato67aat predetermined time intervals for plural times are stored in the plural body-fluid storage units64bto67bseparately.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 39 is a schematic diagram of one exemplary configuration of the drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 39, the drug delivery system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention has the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 in place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 of the drug delivery system according to the fifth embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system according to the sixth embodiment is the same as that of the fifth embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the sixth embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 is swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth, and moves though the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements to release the drug D1, similarly to the capsule-typemedical apparatus51 according to the fifth embodiment. At the same time, the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 in the livingbody100, similarly to the capsule-typemedical apparatus51, sequentially captures the images as the drug-source information and sequentially radio transmits the captured images as the drug-source information to the receivingapparatus11 outside.
• On the other hand, the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 in the livingbody100 is detained at one optional site in the livingbody100, sequentially collects the body fluid at the site plural times, and stores the collected plural moieties of the body fluid separately. The capsule-typemedical apparatus61 storing the plural moieties of the body fluid is released from a detained state with respect to the site in the livingbody100, and naturally excreted outside the livingbody100 thereafter. The capsule-typemedical apparatus61 naturally excreted from the livingbody100 is collected, and the plural moieties of the body fluid stored separately in the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 are injected intoadjunctive containers91ato91d, respectively. Each moiety of the body fluid injected into thecontainers91ato91dis analyzed by the analyzing apparatus90 similarly to the fifth embodiment. The analyzing apparatus90 can output the result of successive analysis (evaluation) of an effect of the drug released to the site in the living body.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 collecting the body fluid at one optional site in the livingbody100 plural times will be described.FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 according to the sixth embodiment collecting the body fluid from one site in the living body at plural times. As shown inFIG. 40, the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 inserted into the livingbody100 moves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements and the like. Thereafter, the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 is detained at one optional site in the livingbody100 and collects the body fluid from the optional site plural times.
• Specifically, the drivingunit68bsticks thehook68ainto the optional site in the living body100 (e.g., a site where the drug D1 is released). Thehook68adetains the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 at one optional site in the livingbody100. Thepumps64ato67asuck (collect) the body fluid in turn every predetermined time at the site in the livingbody100 where the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 is detained.
• Firstly, thepump64asucks the body fluid at one site in the livingbody100 and sends the sucked body fluid into the body-fluid storage unit64b. After a predetermined time has passed since the start of body-fluid suction by thepump64a, thepump65asucks the body fluid at the site in the livingbody100 and sends the sucked body fluid into the body-fluid storage unit65b. After a predetermined time has passed since the start of the body-fluid suction by thepump65a, thepump66asucks the body fluid at the site in the livingbody100 and sends the sucked body fluid into the body-fluid storage unit66b. After a predetermined time has passed since the start of the body-fluid suction by thepump66a, thepump67asucks the body fluid at the site in the livingbody100 and sends the sucked body fluid into the body-fluid storage unit67b.
• The moieties of the body fluid sucked by thepumps64ato67aevery predetermined time at plural times (plural moieties of the body fluid sequentially collected from the site where the drug D1 is released at different times) are stored in the plural body-fluid storage units64bto67b, respectively. The body-fluid storage units64bto67bhold the body fluid collected from inside the livingbody100 until the body fluid is collected into thecontainers91ato91d.
• As described above, the drug delivery system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention is configured so as to have the same functions and configuration as those of the first embodiment, and so that the body fluid is sequentially collected from one optional site in the living body at plural times, the collected plural moieties of the body fluid are stored separately, and the plural moieties of the collected body fluid are analyzed separately. Therefore, in addition to the advantages and the effects of the first embodiment, the sixth embodiment has an advantage that the body fluid of the site in the living body where the drug is released can be sequentially collected at different times, and that each moiety of the body fluid collected at predetermined time intervals from the site where the drug is released can be analyzed independently. As a result, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the same that have the advantages and the effects of the first embodiment, and in addition are able to acquire living-body-related medical information such as a symptom of an interior of the living body, an effect (or efficacy) of a drug, and a condition of bacteria, and particularly can successively analyze the effect of the drug released to the site in the living body.
Seventh Embodiment
• A seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the sixth embodiment described above, the body fluid is collected at plural times from one optional site in the living body, and the collected plural moieties of the body fluid are stored in the plural body-fluid storage units separately. In the seventh embodiment, the body fluid is collected from each site in the living body, and the body fluid from each site is stored separately in each of the plural body-fluid collecting units.
• FIG. 41 is a schematic diagram of one exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 42 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIGS. 41 and 42, the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 according to the seventh embodiment includes apH sensor76 and acontrol unit79 in place of thedetainment unit68 and thecontrol unit69, respectively, of the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 according to the sixth embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the capsule-type medical apparatus according to the seventh embodiment is the same as that of the sixth embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• ThepH sensor76 sequentially detects the pH value of the body fluid to identify each site in the living body. Specifically, thepH sensor76 is arranged near the outer wall surface of the casingmain body2a, for example, and sequentially detects the pH value of the body fluid at each site in the living body where the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 sequentially passes. ThepH sensor76 sequentially transmits the detected pH value of respective sites to thecontrol unit79.
• Thecontrol unit79 has a substantially similar function as that of thecontrol unit69 of the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 according to the sixth embodiment. Thecontrol unit79 controls the driving of thepH sensor76 in place of thedetainment unit76. Further, thecontrol unit79 sequentially controls thepumps64ato67aevery time the site in the living body changes.
• Thecontrol unit79 has asite identifying unit79awhich identifies a current site in the living body. Thesite identifying unit79aidentifies the current site (such as stomach, duodenum, small intestine, and large intestine) where the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 is located based on the pH values sequentially detected by thepH sensor76. Thecontrol unit79 sequentially controls thepumps64ato67abased on a result of identification by thesite identifying unit79a.
• Based on the control of thecontrol unit79, thepH sensor76 sequentially detects the pH value of the body fluid which identifies the site in the living body, and sequentially transmits the detected pH value to thecontrol unit79. Thereafter, thepumps64ato67asequentially suck (collect) the body fluid every time the site identified based on the pH value changes. Thepump64asucks body fluid in the stomach, for example, into the body-fluid storage unit64b; thepump65asucks body fluid in the duodenum, for example, into the body-fluid storage unit65b; thepump66asucks body fluid in the small intestine, for example, into the body-fluid storage unit66b; and thepump67asucks body fluid in the large intestine, for example, into the body-fluid storage unit67b. Thus, the moieties of body fluid from respective sites sucked by thepumps64ato67a, respectively, are stored in the plural body-fluid storage units64bto67b, respectively.
• A drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described.FIG. 43 is a schematic diagram of one exemplary configuration of the drug delivery system including the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 43, the drug delivery system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention includes the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 in place of the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 of the drug delivery system according to the sixth embodiment. In other respects, the configuration of the drug delivery system according to the seventh embodiment is the same as that of the sixth embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference characters.
• In the drug delivery system according to the seventh embodiment, the capsule-typemedical apparatus71, similarly to the capsule-typemedical apparatus61 according to the sixth embodiment, is swallowed by the livingbody100 from the mouth, moves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements and the like, to release the drug D1. At the same time, the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 in the livingbody100, similarly to the capsule-typemedical apparatus61, sequentially captures the images as the drug-source information and sequentially radio transmits the captured images as the drug-source information to the receivingapparatus11 outside.
• On the other hand, the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 in the livingbody100 collects the body fluid at each site in the livingbody100, and stores the collected body fluid from each site separately. Thereafter, the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 storing the body fluid from each site in the livingbody100 is naturally excreted to the outside of the livingbody100. The capsule-typemedical apparatus71 naturally excreted from the livingbody100 is collected, and the body fluid from each site separately stored in the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 is injected to corresponding one of theadjunctive containers91ato91d. The moieties of the body fluid from respective sites in the livingbody100 injected into thecontainers91ato91d, respectively, are analyzed by the analyzing apparatus90, respectively, similarly to the sixth embodiment. The analyzing apparatus90 can output for each site the result of analysis (evaluation) of an effect of the drug released at each site in the living body.
• An operation of the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 collecting the body fluid from each site in the livingbody100 will be described.FIG. 44 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 according to the seventh embodiment collecting the body fluid from each site in the living body. The capsule-typemedical apparatus71 inserted into the livingbody100 moves through the sites in the livingbody100 successively or intermittently following the peristaltic movements or the like, and collects the body fluid from each site in the livingbody100 independently.
• For example, as shown inFIG. 44, when the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 passes through the stomach and duodenum of the livingbody100 and reaches the small intestine, thepH sensor76 detects the pH value of the body fluid at the site (small intestine) in the livingbody100, and transmits the detected pH value to thecontrol unit79. Thesite identifying unit79aidentifies the current site as a small intestine (i.e., that the capsule-type medical apparatus moves from the duodenum to the small intestine) based on the pH value detected by thepH sensor76. Thecontrol unit79 controls thepump66abased on the result of determination by thesite identifying unit79a. Thepump66asucks (collects) the body fluid from the current site (i.e., small intestine) in the livingbody100 based on the control by thecontrol unit79. The body-fluid storage unit66bstores the body fluid (for example, the body fluid of the small intestine) sucked by thepump66a. At this point, the body-fluid storage unit64balready stores the body fluid of the stomach, for example, of the livingbody100, and the body-fluid storage unit65balready stores the body fluid of the duodenum, for example, of the livingbody100.
• Thereafter, when the capsule-typemedical apparatus71 moves from the small intestine to the large intestine in the livingbody100, thepH sensor76, similarly to the time in the small intestine, detects the pH value of the body fluid in the large intestine of the livingbody100, and thepump67asucks (collects) the body fluid at the current site (large intestine) in the livingbody100 based on the control by thecontrol unit79. The body-fluid storage unit67bstores the body fluid (e.g., body fluid of the small intestine) sucked by thepump67a.
• Thus, the body fluid of respective sites sucked at the respective sites in the livingbody100 by thepumps64ato67aare stored in the plural body-fluid storage units64bto67b, respectively. The body-fluid storage units64bto67bhold the collected moieties of the body fluid of respective sites until the moieties of the body fluid are collected into thecontainers91ato91d.
• As described above, the drug delivery system according to the seventh embodiment is configured so as to have the same function and configuration as those of the first embodiment, and to sequentially collect the body fluid at each site in the living body, store the collected body fluid of each site separately, and to analyze the collected body fluid of each site separately. Therefore, it is possible, in addition to realize the advantages and the effect of the first embodiment, to sequentially collect the body fluid at each site in the living body where the drug is released, and to analyze the body fluid of each site where the drug is released independently. As a result, it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the same that have the advantages and the effect of the first embodiment, and in addition, allow for acquisition of living-body-related medical information such as a symptom of the interior of the living body, an effect (or efficacy) of a drug, and a condition of bacteria, and in particular allow for an analysis (evaluation) of the effect of the drug released to each site in the living body.
• In the first, fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments described above, the drug D1 is held inside thedrug holding unit3 formed with a net-like member. The drug holding unit, however, may be formed with a porous member in which plural holes are formed so as to be able to release the drug D1 as the drug solution D2. The drug holding unit of the porous member may be provided in thecasing2, similarly to the net-likedrug holding unit3, so as to hold the drug D1 at a position within the field of view A of theimaging unit4, and to transmit the reflected light from the site in the living body around the drug D1 to theimaging unit4. The porous member may be such that plural holes of a suitable size to transmit the reflected light from the site in the living body to theimaging unit4 are formed therein, or may be transparent.
• Further, the drug storing unit of the porous member may block the field of view of theimaging unit4 with respect to the site in the living body as far as the drug D1 is held in a position within the field of view A of theimaging unit4. In this case, a site detecting unit that detects the site information indicating the site in the living body may be provided to the capsule-type medical apparatus in place of theimaging unit4.
• Further, the drug holding unit of a net-like member or a porous member may be formed detachable/attachable from/to the capsule-type medical apparatus. Then, the drug holding unit can be attached to the capsule-type medical apparatus for diagnosis such as a capsule-type endoscope which is inserted into the living body for the observation (examination) of an interior of the living body.
• Further, in the third modification of the first embodiment, the drug D1 is sandwiched between two transparent holding plates. Alternatively, of the two holding plates sandwiching the drug D1, one at the casing side opposing to theimaging unit4 may be made transparent, and the other may be made non-transparent. In this case, a site detecting unit that detects the site information indicating the site in the living body may be added to the capsule-type medical apparatus instead of theimaging unit4.
• Further, in the first embodiment, the first to the third modification thereof, and the fifth to the seventh embodiments, theimaging unit4 captures images covering at least the drug D1 as the drug-source information indicating the release condition of the drug D1 with respect to the site in the living body. Alternatively, the detecting unit that detects the drug-source information may be, instead of theimaging unit4, a weight-measuring unit that measures the weight of the held drug, a gap-measuring unit that measure a gap between the drug holding unit and the drug, a distance sensor that detects the dimension of the drug based on the distance to the held drug, or an ultrasonic sensor that detects the dimension and the shape of the drug by generating ultrasounds to the held drug. Further, one of a pH sensor that detects the pH value of the body fluid in the living body, a temperature-measuring unit that measures the temperature of a surrounding area of the held drug, a conductivity-measuring unit that measures the conductivity of the body fluid in the living body, and a viscosity-measuring unit that measures viscosity of the body fluid in the living body may be used. The weight-measuring unit applies vibrations to the held drug, for example, and calculates the weight of the drug based on the resonance frequency of the vibration to the drug.
• Further, in the first embodiment, the first to the third modification thereof, and the second to the seventh embodiments, the imaging unit or the pH sensor is used as the site detecting unit that detects the site information indicating the site in the living body where the drug is released. Alternatively, the site detecting unit may be an imaging unit that captures an image covering at least the drug, a pH sensor that detects the pH value of the body fluid in the living body, a pressure sensor that detects pressure applied to the capsule-type medical apparatus by body tissue, a space-measuring unit that measures the width of the space surrounding the capsule-type medical apparatus, a bacteria-distribution-measuring unit that measures distribution of bacteria in the body around the capsule-type medical apparatus, and an enzyme-detecting unit that detects the enzyme present in a surrounding area of the capsule-type medical apparatus.
• Alternatively, a position detecting unit may be provided in the receivingapparatus11 outside the living body so as to detect the position of the capsule-type medical apparatus in the living body (i.e., the site in the living body where the drug is released) based on the received signal strength of the radio signals sent from the capsule-type medical apparatus and received by the plural receiving antennas distributively arranged on the body surface of the living body. In this case, the receivingapparatus11 receives the drug-source information radio transmitted by the capsule-type medical apparatus, and the position detecting unit detects a receiving antenna which receives the drug-source information at a highest received signal strength among the plural receiving antennas, and identifies the site in the living body corresponding to the position of the detected receiving antenna as the position of the capsule-type medical apparatus. The receivingapparatus11 transmits the drug-source information from the capsule-type medical apparatus and the site information indicating the site identified by the position detecting unit in association with each other to theworkstation13 or accumulates the same.
• Further, in the first embodiment, the first to the third modification thereof, and the second to the seventh embodiments, the drug-source information and the site information radio transmitted from the capsule-type medical apparatus inserted into the living body are displayed on the display unit in real time. Alternatively, the drug-source information and the site information may not be displayed on the display unit in real time. In this case, the drug-source information and the site information radio transmitted by the capsule-type medical apparatus in the living body are sequentially accumulated in the receivingapparatus11 outside the living body. Thereafter, the drug-source information and the site information accumulated in the receivingapparatus11 are taken into the workstation with the use of a cable, a wireless LAN, or a portable recording medium, and the drug-source information and the site information may be displayed on thedisplay unit14 at a desirable time.
• Alternatively, as exemplified in the fourth to the seventh embodiments, when the body fluid in the living body is collected by the body-fluid collecting unit arranged in the capsule-type medical apparatus, the body fluid from the interior of the living body may be collected from the body-fluid collecting unit of the capsule-type medical apparatus after the capsule-type medical apparatus is naturally excreted from the living body, and the collected body fluid may be analyzed, whereby the drug-source information and the site information may be acquired. In this case, the drug-source information and the site information detected through the analysis of the collected body fluid in the living body may be, for example, concentration of bacteria in the body fluid, distribution of bacteria in the body fluid, pH value of the body fluid, enzyme in the body fluid, conductivity of the body fluid, and viscosity of the body fluid. Thus, when the drug-source information and the site information are detected based on the body fluid from the living body collected from the body-fluid collecting unit, the radio communication unit may not be provided to the capsule-type medical apparatus.
• Further, in the fourth embodiment, theconcentration sensor45 detects the bacteria concentration of the body fluid from the living body stored in the body-fluid storage unit44bas the drug-source information. Alternatively, theconcentration sensor45 may detect the concentration of the drug D3 contained in the body fluid of the living body as the drug-source information.
• Further, in the fourth embodiment, the drug D3 is released to the site in the living body every time the predetermined time elapses, and the pH value of the body fluid at the site in the living body is detected in synchronization with the drug release. Alternatively, the drug D3 may be sequentially released to each site in the living body. In this case, thepH sensor46 detects the pH value of the body fluid in the living body first, and thecontrol unit49 identifies the current site based on the detected pH value. Every time the site in the living body as identified by thecontrol unit49 changes, thedrug holding unit43 releases the drug D3 to the site in the living body.
• Further, in the fifth to the seventh embodiments, the capsule-type medical apparatus inserted into the living body collects the body fluid in the living body. Alternatively, the capsule-type medical apparatus may collect at least one of the body fluid, blood, and body tissue in the living body. Further, the analyzing apparatus may analyze at least one of the body fluid, blood, and body tissue in the living body as collected. In this case, it is possible to use a collecting unit which collects at least one of the body fluid, blood, and body tissue in the living body utilizing the suction force of the pump as in the body-fluid collecting unit. Alternatively, it is possible to use a collecting unit which collects at least one of the body fluid, blood, and body tissue by putting a collecting needle into a site in the living body thereby making at least one of the body fluid, blood, and body tissue in the living body adhere to the collecting needle.
• Further, in the second modification of the first embodiment, thedrug holding unit17 connecting the drug D1 and the capsule-like casing2 is exemplified as a thread-like member. Alternatively, however, thedrug holding unit17 may be a stick-like member. The drug D1 may be connected to the capsule-like casing2 via the stick-like member. In this case, one end of thedrug holding unit17 which is a stick-like member may be adhered to the outer surface of thecasing2.
• Further, in the second modification of the first embodiment, the drug D1 and the capsule-like casing2 are connected via thedrug holding unit17. Alternatively, a ring-like or cylinder-like connectingmember17awhich is detachably fit into the capsule-like casing2 may be fixedly arranged to one end of thedrug holding unit17, as shown inFIG. 45, so that the connectingmember17aand the drug D1 are connected via thedrug holding unit17, and the connectingmember17aand thecasing2 may be fitted with each other, so that thecasing2 and the drug D1 are connected. In this case, thedrug holding unit17 may be a thread-like member, or a stick-like member.
• Further, in the second modification of the first embodiment, the spherical drug D1 is held by thedrug holding unit17 in such a manner that thedrug holding unit17 penetrates the spherical drug D1. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 46, the drug D1 may be formed to have a ring-like shape with a hole, or a cylindrical shape, and thedrug holding unit17 may be put through the hole of the drug D1 so that the drug D1 is connected to thedrug holding unit17, whereby the drug D1 may be held by thedrug holding unit17. In this case, the hole of the drug D1 may be formed substantially at the central portion of the drug D1, or may be formed off from the center of the drug D1.
• The present invention has an effect that it is possible to provide a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the same that can hold the drug in such a manner that the drug release such as dissolution can be achieved under the same condition as in the case where the drug is delivered to the living body by itself, that allow for confirmation of the release condition of the drug to the interior of the living body, and confirmation whether the drug is actually released to the site in the living body or not even while the drug is in the living body.
• Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
• As can be seen from the foregoing, the capsule-type medical apparatus and the drug delivery system including the same according to the present invention are useful for delivery of drug to an interior of a living body such as a patient, and in particular, are suitable for a capsule-type medical apparatus and a drug delivery system including the same that allow for confirmation of whether the drug delivered to the interior of the living body is actually released to a site in the living body or not.

Claims (20)

1. A capsule-type medical apparatus having a capsule-like casing that can be inserted into an interior of a living body and delivering a drug to a site in the living body, comprising:

a holding unit that holds the drug in such a manner that the drug can be brought into contact with a tissue in the living body; and

a detecting unit that detects a change in the drug in the living body.

2. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 1, further comprising

a radio communication unit that radio transmits a result of detection of the change in the drug detected by the detecting unit to an outside.

3. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein

the detecting unit is an imaging unit that captures an image covering the drug and a tissue around the drug in the living body.

4. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein

the detecting unit includes

a light-emitting-element group in which each light-emitting element emits light of predetermined light intensity,

a light-receiving element which receives the light emitted by the light-emitting-element group,

the holding unit holds the drug between the light-emitting-element group and the light-receiving element,

the light intensity of the light emitted by the light-emitting-element group and received by the light-receiving element increases as the drug decreases, and

the light-receiving element detects the light intensity of the light which is emitted by the light emitting-element group and which increases as the drug decreases.

5. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein

the capsule-like casing includes

a light-emission-side partial casing which has the light-emitting-element group,

a light-reception-side partial casing which has the light-receiving element, and

a connecting member that connects the light-emission-side partial casing and the light-reception-side partial casing, and

the connecting member is the holding unit that holds the drug between the light-emitting-element group and the light-receiving element.

6. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein

the holding unit is a connecting member that connects the capsule-like casing and the drug.

7. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 6, wherein

the connecting member is a thread-like member.

8. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 6, wherein

the connecting member is a stick-like member.

9. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 6, wherein

the connecting member has one end adhered to an outer surface of the capsule-like casing.

10. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 6, wherein

the connecting member connects the drug by putting one end of the connecting member into a hole formed substantially at a center of the drug.

11. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 6, wherein

the connecting member has one end detachably connected to the capsule-like casing.

12. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 3, wherein

the holding unit includes

plural transparent plates that sandwich the drug at a predetermined position in a field of view of the imaging unit,

an elastic member that connects the plural transparent plates with each other and generates a pressing force of the plural transparent plates with respect to the drug, and

a connecting member that connects one of the plural transparent plates and the capsule-like casing.

13. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 3, wherein

the holding unit includes

a drug case that houses the drug in such a manner that the drug can be brought into contact with a tissue in the living body, and

a connecting member that connects the capsule-like casing and the drug case.

14. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 13, wherein

the connecting member is a shape memory member which memorizes a predetermined shape, and arranges the drug case at a position in the field of view of the imaging unit by changing to the predetermined shape under a predetermined temperature condition.

15. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein

the detecting unit is a concentration sensor that detects a drug concentration of a drug solution which is a solution of the drug in a body fluid in the living body.

16. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 1, further comprising

a site detecting unit that detects site information indicating a site in the living body where the drug is changed.

17. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 16, wherein

the site detecting unit is an imaging unit which captures an image covering the site in the living body.

18. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 16, wherein

the site detecting unit is a pH sensor which detects pH of the interior of the living body.

19. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 2, further comprising

a site detecting unit that detects site information indicating a site in the living body where the drug is changed.

20. The capsule-type medical apparatus according toclaim 19, wherein

the radio communication unit radio transmits a detected change in the drug detected by the detecting unit with respect to the site of the living body and the site information detected by the site detecting unit.

Images